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13 Feb 2022
#50. My Versatile Career & How I Figured it Out with Brenda Earle Stokes
01:09:50
Today’s guest is Brenda Earle Stokes.
Brenda Earle Stokes has built an extensive and sustainable professional career as an accomplished pianist and vocalist skilled across classical, jazz, pop, rock, R&B and Music Theatre styles. Her curiosity and voracious appetite for music has led her to become an internationally acclaimed performer, composer, and educator. Since 2018, Brenda has been busy creating a suite of online courses which is now called "The Versatile Musician".
In this episode, Brenda takes us on her extensive music industry journey as she reveals that her sustainable career was built on being resourceful, entrepreneurial, and by simply figuring it out. Brenda believes that versatility is key and the more we learn, the more opportunities we will create not only as performers but also as teachers because the more tools we have in our toolbox, the more students we will attract and retain. Brenda reveals how her performance career experiences inform and guide her student-centric teaching approaches. She explains that in order for our students to acquire the necessary skills that are useful and relevant to them, for whatever it is they want to pursue, we must customise our teaching. Brenda also discusses an existing culture of dumbing down singers in music programs within higher educational institutions, the problems associated with gender bias in the music industry, the importance of being strategic and how to create and seize opportunities for employment. This is such a fun and informative show with Brenda Earle Stokes.
In this episode 1:16 - Introducing Brenda Earle Stokes
7:56 - Brenda’s early love for music
18:53 - Transitioning into the professional world
22:40 - Life performing on board a cruise ship
31:55 - Brenda’s move to New York City
39:41 - Brenda’s transition to teaching piano and voice
46:30 - Are higher education training programs serving the next generation adequately?
52:12 - Training programs that Brenda has created and how they have evolved
Over the past two years, life has thrown us a curve ball and it’s been hard to set goals, as results are uncertain, and the future is unpredictable. As we walk through each day, it can be difficult to think about what is going to happen in 100 steps time because we don't know how the ground is going to change. However, in life we won’t feel joy by accident, we won’t achieve successful outcomes by accident, and we won’t show up at our best by accident, we need to design the future we desire by setting intentions. An intention isn’t necessarily a goal or something that we measure, it’s simply a commitment to ourselves. It’s a promise we make to ourselves that aligns with our values.
In this episode, we discuss how we can cultivate a healthy and joyful mindset irrespective of what is happening around us by setting intentions for the life we want to live, and the person we want to become in the here and the now. We encourage you to stop relying on the randomness of the world and the randomness of life to bring you what you desire. Now is the time to become very deliberate in your words and in your actions and begin setting daily intentions to cultivate the future of your dreams.
In this episode
1:11 - Are you living your life to your full potential?
#52. Mindfulness: You Can Unlock the Power of your Mind With Evan Dunn
01:10:04
Today’s guest is Evan Dunn.
Many of us identify so strongly with the thoughts that are running through our minds that we begin to believe those thoughts and sometimes it can be difficult to sort through all the doubts and uncertainties that you experience in the process. However, our thoughts do not define us and they are not always the truth. Mindfulness is a practice that helps us to dis-identify with those thoughts and manage our emotions so we can live a far more intentional life.
Evan Dunn is a mindfulness coach for Take the Stage Coaching, a professional opera singer and host of Take the Stage Coaching podcast. Evan describes mindfulness as a way to discover who we truly are, connect to our deepest feelings, learn how to process these feelings and ultimately become more empowered in the future. Evan believes that we all have the power to design a life where we feel so much better than we at present and the only person who can make that happen is you.
In this episode Evan explains the true meaning of mindfulness, he gives us some tools we can use to become more mindful and the benefits it can have on all us in our relationships with others as well as our own physical, mental and emotional health. The past lives as a memory and the future as thoughts. We all have a choice in life and you don’t want to miss Evan’s great advice for designing the lives we choose for ourselves.
In this episode
1:16 - Introduction
10:17 - Evan's early performance career
11:58 - What is Take the Stage Coaching?
15:40 - Mindfulness explained
29:45 - Tools that Evan uses to teach mindfulness
31:28 - A mindfulness role-play example
49:28 - Is Meditation a mindfulness tool?
53:45 - Resources available to learn more about mindfulness
1:01:40 - As voice teachers how can we help our students
#53. Celebrating All Voices: Building a Thriving Collaborative Community Part I
00:54:44
We are so excited to announce it is our first birthday. Yes, it is one year since we launched our very first episode of A Voice and Beyondand to celebrate this exciting milestone, we would like to share some brilliant highlights from our interview rounds, where our internationally acclaimed voice teachers and music artists offer their pearls of wisdom from lessons they have learned throughout their own personal and professional experiences in the music industry, in the teaching studio and beyond.
Each guest shares with us their empowering words of advice, as they speak candidly about their own journeys of self-discovery, self-care and self-awareness. It is through these lessons, we can all learn and grow, reconnect with our most authentic selves, and discover our voices in song as well as life, so we too can empower others, including our students.
It has been a real joy spending time with all my guests and I am truly grateful for their contribution to the show. We hope that you enjoy part one of our two-part birthday celebrations.
In this episode
1:16 - Introduction to our Birthday Celebration of Voices
1:44 - Dr Elizabeth Blades from Episode 2
5:06 - Dr Jenevora Williams from Episode 5
8:50 - Dr Gillyanne Kayes & Jeremy Fisher from Episode 6 & 7
12:27 - Ashlie Amber from Episode 9
16:02 - Lisa Popeil from Episode 11
20:01 - Brenda Earle Stokes from Episode 50
25:31 - Chris Johnson from Episode 15
28:05 - Dr Elizabeth Benson from Episode 13
32:00 - Dr Wendy LeBorgne from Episode 17 & 18
35:44 - Nancy Bos from Episode 20 & 21
39:18 - Dann Milton from Episode 32
44:16 - Nadine Manion from Episode 24
46:51 - Heidi Moss Erickson from Episode 35
51:15 - Dr Trineice Robinson-Martin from Episode 47
#54. Celebrating All Voices: Building A Thriving and Collaborative Community Part II
01:06:01
We are so excited to announce it is our first birthday. Yes, it is one year since we launched our very first episode of A Voice and Beyond and to celebrate this exciting milestone, we would like to share some brilliant highlights from our interview rounds, where our internationally acclaimed voice teachers and music artists offer their pearls of wisdom from lessons they have learned throughout their own personal and professional experiences in the music industry, in the teaching studio and beyond.
Each guest shares with us their empowering words of advice, as they speak candidly about their own journeys of self-discovery, self-care and self-awareness. It is through these lessons, we can all learn and grow, reconnect with our most authentic selves, and discover our voices in song as well as life, so we too can empower others, including our students.
It has been a real joy spending time with all my guests and I am truly grateful for their contribution to the show. We hope that you enjoy part two of our two-part birthday celebrations.
In this episode
0:01 - Introduction to our Birthday Celebration of Voices
#55. Exploring Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Dr David Juncos
01:09:30
Today’s guest is Dr David Juncos.
Dr David Juncos a clinical psychologist, performance coach, a voice workshop lecturer, and co-author of the book ACT for Musicians, which is due for release in the coming months. David shares that he considers himself to be a "third wave" therapist, with additional training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy otherwise known as (ACT). In this episode, he describes ACT as an evidence-based psychotherapy that aims to promote mindfulness and acceptance and he explains how he has been able to successfully treat performance anxiety in musicians, as well as singers, using this treatment approach.
David also answers questions around willingness and avoidance and how they relate to dealing with problems such as anxiety, including performance anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse and addiction, as well as depression. David breaks down the signs and symptoms of all of these issues and identifies the possible impairments that filter into the lives, work and relationships of those who are suffering with these problems.
This is such a powerful and informative episode and one of the most important pieces of information that resonated with me, is David reinforcing the idea that we, as teachers, should only do what we have been trained to do and that if we ourselves, are in trouble, we must seek help. There is so much to unpack in this episode, so be sure to listen carefully.
In this episode
1:17 - Introducing Dr David Juncos
6:33 - David’s inspiration to study psychology
14:01 - David’s motivation to work with singers
23:05 - How to access ACT psychotherapy
28:37 - Where do we draw the line between therapist and teacher
39:29 - What is depression and how does it differ from anxiety?
43:16 - Dealing and treating with addictions
45:04 - Is one addiction harder to treat than another?
46:33 - CAGE screener technique for identifying alcohol addiction
51:38 - Particular drugs more prevalent amongst musicians
#56. Finding Your Voice with Mandie Kramer from The Wander Mom Diaries
00:36:17
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the podcast, The Wander Mom Diaries, hosted by Mandie Kramer. The theme of the podcast centres around self-care, overcoming adversities, and empowering women and, my story and messaging certainly dives into all three! During my conversation with Mandie, I allowed myself to become vulnerable as I began to share my personal story of how I had to overcome one major challenge in my life, after another, including being a suicide survivor, the challenges of being a single mum whilst having a hectic schedule as professional in the music industry and how I was silenced by my culture and my community. Eventually I discovered I could stand up and use my voice in life, and It is my intention to release this episode as I truly want to inspire other women, that no matter where they are at, no matter what adversities, they are having to deal with, there is a way to live your best, most authentic life each and every day and please know you are beautiful just as you are. You are stronger than what you think. I hope you find something within this episode that will empower you to follow your dreams and embrace the woman that you are.
How many of us have been told that we can’t sing, or that we can’t hold a tune in a bucket or we have simply been told please don’t sing? Whether we hear this from a family member, a singing teacher, or as I did from a choral director when I was in high school, this kind of discouragement can potentially silence many who will choose not to ever sing again.
In this episode, our guest is Linor Oren, a singing teacher from Amsterdam, who didn’t sing until she was 21 years old, because of the impact of her father’s words and actions as a child as he relentlessly and unknowingly pushed her way from singing. Linor shares with us how she finally discovered the joy of singing, however, once she launched into her performance career, as a professional opera and musical theatre singer, she suffered terribly from performance anxiety as a consequence of these childhood experiences. Linor tells us how these lived experiences ultimately led her into a teaching career, where she has developed a specific training program called Sing Well. The teaching philosophy behind her program was inspired by a need to help other singers overcome all the obstacles she had been confronted with on her journey of discovering her own voice.
Linor also has a popular YouTube channel with millions of views from almost 60,000 subscribers and she talks about one video in particular where she conducted a social experiment with approximately 20 willing participants. She surveyed them to find out how many of them had been told they could not sing and the consequences this had on them ever singing again. The results are surprising and to hear what happens, you must listen to this episode with Linor Oren.
In this episode
08:08 – Was singing culturally accepted in Israel?
09:55 – Her Father’s impact on her singing ability
14:36 – Her biggest obstacle in having performance anxiety
17:55 – How did she overcome her anxiety
24:33 – The Non-Stop Principle
26:01 – Studying voice formally and moving to Amsterdam
27:29 – Breaking up with the love of her life
30:21 – Developing her voice teaching approach
36:20 – Bright Spots Concept
38:12 – Linor’s teaching philosophy
41:10 – Does mental and emotional status impact a student’s voice?
44:03 – The Negative Self Talk
46:32 – Walking up to random people in the park to ask questions about singing
58:46 – Linor reacting to Freddie Mercury and getting 4 Million views
1:02:04 – Linor’s YouTube career
1:04:44 – Linor’s first solo performance
1:07:59 – Linor’s biggest advice to aspiring singers
Do you experience feelings such as self doubt, fear, anger, anxiety, guilt, shame, or perhaps even regret? Try not to get caught up worrying about worse case scenarios, as they may never happen. We're all having to come to terms with the fear of what "could" happen next. Now more than ever, on any given day, we all have a moment where we struggle with our fears. If you are always stressing about the future, you will be held to ransom by this overwhelm. You are never going to give yourself the opportunity to experience the joys of the here and the now. You must shift your focus to the present. I promise you that you aren't going to know yourself.
In this solo episode I focus on the importance of dedicating time for yourself, leveraging stress to our advantage, letting go of our future worries and allowing ourselves to embrace the unknown.
In this episode
1:10 - Do you often feel overwhelmed?
2:36 - Find time for you
3:45 - Leverage stress to your advantage
4:58 - Don’t fear the future
7:03 - Allow yourself to let go and embrace the unknown
How often do you begin an important task and then you suddenly find yourself standing in front of the coffee machine just five minutes later. Ask yourself, do you feel as though you are going nowhere fast. Instead of moving forward, it feels like you're stagnating and could be doing so much more with your life is the amount of time you're spending distracted amongst all the chaos and the drama far greater than the time you're being productive.
In today's episode, we are going to figure out why you may be distracted and I will share some simple ideas that you can use to manage your day.
#60. The Detection and Treatment of Voice Disorders with Lori Sonnenberg
01:12:04
This week’s guest is Lori Sonnenberg.
Lori Sonnenberg is a Chicago based Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Clinical Voice Specialist, and Singing Voice Specialist whose clients include professional performers, educators and speakers. In her voice clinic, Lori works exclusively with voice and breathing disorders and specialises in muscle tension dysphonia related disorders, recovery from voice injuries, professional voice care and support, post-operative voice recovery, and problematic technical voice issues for singers.
In this episode, Lori explains what is involved in the initial consultation with a patient, including the diagnostic process and gives us an insight into the treatments she uses to assist her patients to recover from voice disorders and pathologies. Prevention is better than cure and Lori explains how we as voice teachers can detect when there is a potential problem occurring within our own instrument as well as that of our students and when to proactively seek the help of a voice specialist before it’s too late.
Lori also discusses the impact of COVID on the singing voice, misconceptions concerning the incidence of vocal pathologies across genres, how we as a voice community can listen better and the importance of supporting and not shaming singers through voice problems. This interview with Lori Sonnenberg is a must-listen.
In this episode
04:38 – Lori’s early singing days 20:46 – The Diagnostic Process for patients 23:30 – What Causes Muscle Tension Dysphonia? 25:36 – Treating Muscle Tension Dysphonia 28:55 – Mucosal Swelling 31:17 – Voice’s Warning Signals 36:48 – How do you know if your vocal folds are swollen today? 42:09 – What are the worst injuries one can have as a singer? 49:10 – A Voice World 50:13 – Do CCM singers experience Voice Injuries and Disorders more often than Classical Singers? 53:33 - Getting confusing messages in terms of Vocal Health 56:46 – Lori’s favourite Vocal Warm up 1:01:13 – Lori’s favourite Vocal Cool down 1:02:52 – COVID’s effect to voice 1:07:26 - Piece of advice for teachers in the singing voice community
#61. When Pop Meets Brain Science with Meredith Colby
01:18:18
This week's guest is Meredith Colby.
Meredith Colby is an author, teacher, speaker and the creator of Neuro-Vocal, an approach to teaching singing for popular music styles based on brain science. In this episode, Meredith speaks candidly about her professional career, the demands of the CCM industry for singers, the lack of formal training for the styles she was performing and the vocal issues she encountered as a classically trained singer working in a touring rock band. She firmly believes that the many years of classical training she received did not give her the tools she needed to sustain the styles she was performing and ultimately led to her vocal burnout. These experiences inspired her to research and write her book, Money Notes, in which she introduces Neuro-Vocal, a fast, effective training approach that encourages healthy singing habits for microphone singers and is based on neuroscience.
Neuro-Vocal teaches students to steer changes in their brains and to be guided by these changes as they occur. Meredith breaks down her approach which has been proven to achieve remarkably fast results and puts the student in the driver's seat. Not only that, but equips singers with tools for a healthy voice that will last for a lifetime? There is so much to unpack in this show and I know you are going to love all the information Meredith has to share with us.
In this Episode
04:11 – Meredith's earliest singing memories 09:16 – Frustration for not being able to sing loudly 12:18 – The kind of music Meredith was performing 13:01 – Classical music experience 17:48 – Ignoring her voice’s health warning signs 25:50 – How did you hear your voice? 26:43 – Talking to a Laryngologist and avoiding surgery 30:53 – Aha moment from Cyndi Lauper and Patti LaBelle 31:22 – Transitioning to being a voice teacher 34:50 – The Neuro Vocal Method 40:25 – The Alexander Technique 54:17 – Being a Vehicle for the Composer’s Intent 1:00:49 – Helping people find their own voice 1:01:50 – Training program exercises 1:14:23 – Meredith's greatest piece of advice for the singing voice community
Are you living in the past or do you dwell on events that belong in your past? If this is you, ask yourself how can you live a happy life in the present, when you can’t let go of what’s already happened? Instead of focusing on the here and now, you find that you’re caught up ruminating, stuck in a web of reflection and brooding on your past mistakes. The more you engage in this behaviour, the more disempowering your future will become.
In this episode, I share the good news, that your past is merely a part of your learning journey that forms a previous chapter in your life. I explain that your past is not you, and what happened was simply a situation or an event. It is something that is done and dusted, and it’s time now to make peace with your past. I discuss how you can realign your life and take back control of your past by creating healthy habits that guide you towards living your very best life every single day in the here and the now. So the next time a negative thought crosses your mind, you have the tools to steer your mind away from it, stop berating yourself, step out of a victim mentality and learn the process of forgiveness. You are worth the effort! Always have been and always will be!
In this episode
01:16 – Stop Living in the Past
03:32 – Courage to Forgive
05:13 – Free yourself from the past and move on
06:26 – The effects of negative thinking
09:44 – Allowing negative self-talk to happen
10:36 – Living Life in a Positive and Authentic Way
12:22 – The Victim Mentality
14:05 – Coping with victim mentality mindset
16:01 – Being a Survivor
17:15 – The Power of True Forgiveness
18:28 – Don’t wait for an apology
20:40 – Best gift you give to yourself is forgiveness
#63. My Secrets for Success and Sustainability in the Voice Industry with Associate Professor Irene Bartlett
01:18:35
This week's guest is Associate Professor Irene Bartlett!
In the music industry, it is very difficult to sustain a long and enduring career, but our guest this week, Associate Professor Irene Bartlett has successfully navigated her music career and shares with us her secrets to longevity as a member of the voice community. Irene worked as a professional CCM singer for over 50 years and during that time transitioned into other roles such as a becoming voice teacher, a voice researcher, a contributing author and an international voice presenter. Currently, Irene is the Head of Pedagogy, Coordinator of Contemporary Voice & Voice Pedagogy Programs, the Head of Jazz Voice Studies and is proudly an associate professor, at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University in Queensland, Australia.
Irene is truly a trailblazer and a visionary and her knowledge and experience as led her to develop a unique and inclusive approach to teaching vocal pedagogy, which is not only based on voice science but also on her teaching philosophy that good singing is good singing. She continues to be an advocate for legitimising CCM from a pedagogical standpoint and opens up about her professional journey, her greatest accomplishments, how remaining relevant is key to sustainability and longevity, and the importance of family first and legacy. This is a brilliant not to be missed interview with my good friend, colleague, and mentor Associate Professor Irene Bartlett.
In this episode 01:16 – Introducing Associate Professor Irene Bartlett 05:36 — Irene’s Singing background 14:16 — Teaching at Queensland Conservatorium 19:31 — Classical Colleagues’ 24:09 — Irene’s path to success 27:25 — Vocal Pedagogy Program 33:21 — What constitutes good singing? 40:48 — Is it detrimental to a CCM singer’s vocal health to be classically trained? 48:38 — Voice teaching’s greatest revolution 49:59 — Most common diagnosis in her studio 52:17 — Irene’s teaching philosophy 54:29 — Colleagues or institutions trying to silence her 1:05:29 — Finding balance between work and family 1:07:48 — Irene’s greatest accomplishment 1:12:00 — Greatest piece of advice the singing voice community
#64. How to Achieve a Healthy Relationship with Food with Kimberley Bell
00:59:44
This week's guest is Kimberley Bell.
Body shaming and having a distorted self-body image can lead to negative thought patterns and these thoughts can sometimes trigger eating disorders in some people, which can be life-threatening such as bulimia, binge eating and at the opposite end of the spectrum, anorexia. Kimberley Bell who is a Registered Nutritionist and Master NLP Practitioner, is this week’s guest on our show and she candidly opens up about her own personal struggles with an eating disorder which resulted from being body-shamed as a teenager going through puberty. She shares how this ultimately led to her relationship with food spiralling out of control and she became a binge eater. What she discovered when she went to seek help was, that in order to beat binging, you have to fix both the physical and emotional triggers. She tells us, that it doesn’t matter how mentally strong you are, if your body is crying out for nutrients, it’s going to be extremely difficult to resist a binge on mental strength alone.
Kimberley found that the most powerful way to stop is to target both the physical and mental aspects. In today’s show, Kimberley explains the benefits of the program she has founded in order to help other women overcome eating disorders, called Mind Your Nutrition, and she also gives us some excellent advice on what sensible eating for good nutrition consists of. There is so much great information shared in this episode that relates to all of us, irrespective of whether we or someone we know is struggling with an eating disorder.
In this episode 05:05 — Kimberley’s career and early nutrition journey 16:58 — 3 Main Eating Disorder Categories 19:27 — When do eating disorders become life threatening? 20:59 — Signs of an Eating Disorder 24:41 — Has COVID-19 spiked an increase in Eating Disorder cases? 25:11 — Does Social Media play a big role in food and body relationships? 27:21 — Kimberley’s Nutrition Program 31:41 — Should the word “diet” be removed / replaced from the English language? 36:42 — Food companies’ propaganda’s and advertising impact 40:24 — Worst foods to eat in terms of overall health 45:24 — Types of Weight Loss Diets 48:02 — Benefits and Importance of Fasting 51:24 — Correlation between eating a type of food and mental health issues 55:30 — Kimberley’s nutrition advice for the voice community
How many of us are always saying yes, even when we really want to say no? Are you constantly finding yourself in situations where you feel as though you're going against your values, and your own priorities simply to please others? If you are someone who puts aside the very things that you need in your life, for the sake of others, help is on its way. In this episode, we delve into why you have the irrepressible urge to be a people pleaser and how this can be detrimental to your life, your goals, your values as well as your energy levels. If you want more out of life and you are looking to achieve greater things, you must learn to say no now and get comfortable with the discomfort of saying no.
Today’s episode discusses ways in which you can make yourself the priority in your life and start focusing on your own needs and desires by setting boundaries, and how you can learn to say no when a boundary violation occurs. We explain the importance of examining your motivations and intentions for saying yes, e.g. it may be that you do things only because you fear rejection or seek approval from others. Remember that putting your own needs first, doesn’t mean that you can no longer be a kind and thoughtful person. You must continue to be kind, but most importantly you must be kind to yourself first. It’s time to learn to say no and stop putting the needs of others before your own future happiness.
In this episode 01:10 – Being a People Pleaser 03:17 – Stop being a YES person 06:18 – The price we pay for saying YES to everyone 08:10 – Feeling like a bad inconsiderate person 09:14 – Learn to say NO now 10:05 – Feeling Guilty 13:27 – Strong healthy relationship 14:19 – Energy Levels 17:11 – Action steps to stop being a people pleaser? 17:28 – Establishing boundaries and violation 19:10 – Saying No to a text request 20:34 – Continue being kind on your own terms
#66. Facing the Music: My Triumphs and Tribulations with Jeannette LoVetri Part I
00:57:42
This week’s guest is Jeannette LoVetri.
Jeannette LoVetri is one of the most recognized and highly acclaimed voice teachers around the world. This is part one of a two-part interview round with Jeanie. In this episode, we have the honour of learning more about Jeanie and the journey which led her to a remarkable performance and teaching career, but most importantly, what inspired her to create the term Contemporary Commercial Music in 2000. CCM as we know it is now widely used in academia, science and research. Jeanie talks about those who inspired and influenced her learning of all things connected with the singing voice, and how she constructed her pedagogical approaches, which ultimately led her to develop, Somatic Voicework™, Jeanie’s trademarked method which she created in 2002, and is now taught at Baldwin Wallace University every summer.
Jeannette is a trailblazer and continues to work hard to instigate changes in the way CCM is perceived within the singing voice community and what I learned is that Jeanie’s success, has come about from her remarkable resilience, and curiosity for learning and sheer tenacity. I absolutely loved hanging out with Jeanie as she shared her stories, her struggles and her triumphs. I’m sure you are going to love listening to this episode and don’t forget this is part one of my interview with Jeanie and in next week’s episode, we will release part II.
In this episode 03:32 — Introducing Jeannette LoVetri 10:33 — Growing up in a musical family 14:11 — Getting into Manhattan School of Music 19:00 — Exposure to Broadway professionals 21:09 — Classical Training experience 24:13 — Realizing her voice didn't fit the mould 26:21 — The Voice Foundation at Juilliard School 29:16 — Attending the symposium for 10 years 33:44 — Writing a Complaint Letter to the Voice Foundation 34:55 — Doing research with Dr. Silver 43:05 — Putting electrodes and experimenting with her vocal cords 46:16 — Officially introducing the term CCM in a forum in 2000 48:23 — What really is Contemporary Commercial Music?
#67. Facing the Music: My Triumphs and Tribulations with Jeannette LoVetri Part II
00:54:56
This week’s guest is Jeannette LoVetri.
In today’s episode, I am delighted to share part two of my conversation with our guest, Jeannette LoVetri who is one of the most recognized and highly acclaimed voice teachers from around the world. We learn more about Jeanie and the journey she embarked on as a voice teacher, the sacrifices she had to endure to create change and the reaction she received from the greater voice community when she coined the term Contemporary Commercial Music in 2000. Jeanie tells us that until that time, all music outside of classical music was deemed low art and she explains that she had to be intentional and very strategic to gain the respect of her classical colleagues.
During our chat, Jeanie further describes Somatic Voicework™, her trademarked method, which she developed to be applicable in a very practical way, and was the result of her 40 years of studying the voice as well as her own professional experiences. She tells is that it was her vision to create a training program that was inclusive and welcoming and where the learning was conducted in a kind and sharing environment.
Jeanie shares so many pearls of wisdom, such as, what qualities she believes are essential for a good singing teacher to possess, the influence of voice science in singing voice pedagogy, her personal self-care regime, her legacy and so much more. Jeanie was so generous with her time and you are going to love getting up close and personal with Jeannette LoVetri.
Do you have some kind of limiting behaviour or habit that is holding you back and it’s preventing you from moving forward in your life? There’s no denying that we all are, indeed, creatures of habit. Our minds and bodies are dependent on stimulants, actions and patterns that come to define who we are. Usually, these habits are sneaky behaviours that develop subconsciously and quietly creep up on us. So whether it’s trying to quit smoking, cutting out junk food, or having that glass of wine, habits can be hard to control, but even harder to break. Every action comes from an original thought pattern. Therefore, if you really want to break old habits, create new ones, and have a total lifestyle transformation, you will need to change more than just your habits. It will require a shift in mindset and in this episode, we’re going to share how you can work towards creating that shift in 66 days. It’s been scientifically proven that we need to make a commitment for 66 days toward habit installation and in today’s show, we discuss ways to remove that habit and create a new default behaviour. These ideas may seem very simple, but are truly very powerful, and can apply to most kinds of habits. As humans, we have the ability to adapt and take a habit out of our lives, and it’s time to learn how you can rewire your brain, install a new habit and it get into a CAN DO attitude in 66 days.
In this episode 01:10 – Do you have a limiting behaviour? 02:09 – Habit vs Routine 05:50 – What is a Habit? 06:18 – Routine Triggers 09:16 – Be Obnoxious (Days 1 – 22) 10:04 – Share with others 11:28 – Self-Analysis (Day 22 – 44) 13:15 – Become the person of your dreams 15:07 – Find the Light (Day 44 – 66) 16:04 – Shifting your mindset 17:50 – Own your experiences
#69. The Five Stage of Grief and Loss with Donna Cameron
01:05:28
This week’s guest is Donna Cameron.
As a result of Covid 19, it’s undeniable that over the past couple of years, almost all of us have been impacted in some way by the pandemic and have experienced a form of grief or loss. This week, we welcome back to the show, Donna Cameron who is a qualified psychologist with over 20 years of experience in private practice and in this episode Donna discusses both these very topics. Donna shares with us how loss has been felt globally and some continue to grieve the loss of their jobs, their businesses or their incomes, while others, including children, have been affected by the loss of social connection with their friends, and family during those times of isolation. Sadly and so tragically many have experienced the loss of a loved one. Irrespective of the loss, everyone’s journey and experiences throughout this time have been different, and for many, they are unsure of how to overcome grief and adversity. Donna helps us understand what grief is, as well as how it impacts us physically and emotionally and she also breaks down the five stages of the grieving process. Donna offers advice on coping mechanisms that will allow us to process grief in a more positive manner and shares with us what to say to someone who is in the midst of the grief, without minimising their emotions. This is such an extremely timely episode as we return to day-to-day life in our new normal. There are there so many brilliant pieces of advice offered by Donna. So whether you or someone you know is grieving or dealing with loss, this is a not to be missed interview with Donna Cameron.
In this episode 05:42 – Loss and Grief experience 11:31 – Different types of Grief and Loss 14:35 – What is Grief? 16:25 – Physical and Emotional Symptoms of Grief 17:38 – Heartbreak 20:17 – Redirecting Anger to Something else 24:57 – Acceptance 28:10 – Grieving Death vs Grieving through breakup 30:57 – Best Way to Heal 36:16 – Routines and Patterns 40:33 – Right and Worst things to say to someone grieving 45:00 – Grieving: Men vs Women 50:44 – Explaining Loss and Death to children 56:27 – The best piece of advice for a person dealing with their own grief
#70. Listen to What Your Body is Trying to Tell You with Serena Sterling
00:57:51
This week’s guest is Serena Sterling.
When someone feels as though they are being silenced, this can have tremendous physical, and psychological consequences for that person as they feel ignored or not heard. This week’s guest is Serena Sterling, who is a certified Life Coach and author of the book ‘Pain: A Love Story'. In this episode, Serena shares her story regarding the chronic physical and emotional pain that she endured as a result of feeling ignored at various times in her life. Serena tells us that in her childhood, she began to complain about “imaginary” pain to gain attention from her family, and after months of pretence, this eventually manifested into Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, a condition she still has today. While working as an international journalist, Serena was based in New York's financial district during the September 11 attacks. As a result of the trauma she experienced during those attacks, she was later diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was told by her doctor that there was no cure. Serena’s life began to spiral as she started snorting cocaine in her kitchen to help her cope and hold down her job. Not wanting to accept this as a lifetime fate, she discovered mind-body healing techniques that transformed her mental, emotional, and physical health. Witnessing what seemed like a miraculous transformation, Serena decided she needed to share this with the world. She later received a master’s and a doctorate in clinical psychology in order to bridge the gap between science and emotional health. Serena is committed to helping others with physical and emotional pain feel better fast with various modalities that have been proven to cure chronic pain. This is a candid interview with Serena as she not only shares some of the darkest moments in her life but also offers advice to those who feel as though they are being silenced as well as how we can all listen better.
In this episode 05:08 – Donna’s Childhood 07:56 – Seeking Attention from Parents 09:09 – Psychosomatic Disorder 10:03 – Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis 15:20 – Coping with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 17:16 – Depression + PTSD 19:10 – Cocaine helping her Chronic Fatigue 23:20 – Victim Mentality 26:29 – Body Mind Healing Techniques 28:25 – Communicating with the body 32:40 – Diagnosing patients through Kinesiology 40:19 – Message behind the book “Pain, A Love Story” 46:18 – Advice to someone experiencing pain 50:37 – Best way to help someone in pain 51:36 – What's the greatest lesson you've learned about yourself?
#71. 3 Steps to Elevate your Morning and Transform your Day
00:23:45
How often do you start your day feeling tired, and you find that you’re stressed out, burnt out and maxed out even before your work day has commenced? We all want to feel more alive, full of joy and energized, but some of us don’t know how to make this happen. If you’re lacking the mental focus and the energy you need to deliver the best of yourself, you can begin by customising and carving out a morning routine that will help you set the tone for your whole day. In today’s show, I am going to share some ideas on how you can win back your life, upgrade your happiness, and be more present, more productive and have the energy you need, just by making some changes to your mornings. Don’t waste the opportunity to live your best life. It’s time now to realign with your passion and purpose. Make that choice, to create change and I promise you that by setting up a three step morning routine that works for you, it is possible to live the life you dare to dream of.
In this episode 01:10 – Making changes to your morning routine 03:57 – Align yourself with Purpose and Passion 05:22 – The 5AM Club 09:26 – Step 1: The First 20 Minutes is to exercise or just move 10:58 – Gentle reminder for singers 12:27 – Step 2: Meditation 14:53 – Mental Fatigue and Lack of Mental Focus 15:46 – Step 3: Journaling or Personal Development 17:30 – Find things that will bring you joy 18:32 – Personal Development 19:29 – Conclusion 20:57 – Learn the simple discipline of mourning routine
#72. Making Voice Pedagogy Accessible For All with Dr Shannon Coates Part I
00:50:01
This week’s guest is Shannon Coates.
This is part I of my interview with Dr Shannon Coates, who is an acclaimed voice teacher, international presenter and creator of The Vocal Instrument 101 Online Course. This is a candid interview with Shannon as she begins by sharing her earliest memories of how she discovered the joy of singing as part of a musical family and the journey that led her to a highly successful teaching career. Shannon tells us that she began her teaching career, as an independent studio voice teacher where she worked with a broad range of students. Shannon explains that her own professional and teaching experiences, inspired her to create training programs and resources for teachers outside of academia to equip them with the skills and knowledge that are most useful for them. Shannon had discovered that all the classical tuition received did not give her the tools she needed for contemporary singing. The other realisation for Shannon was that the majority of voice pedagogy classes were being taught by classical voice teachers who had never owned or operated an independent voice studio themselves. Furthermore, she believed that independent studio teachers, were unable to access the training they required without sacrificing time away from the studios, and losing income. In this episode Shannon also shares with us the qualities that she believes that a good teacher should possess, the core components of her training programs and how these are relevant and beneficial to the teaching voice community. Remember this is part 1 of a 2 part interview with Dr Shannon Coates and part 2 will be released next week.
04:00 – Getting to know Dr. Shannon Coates 07:15 – Earliest memories of singing 12:12 – Musical education history 14:12 – Dr. Shannon’s work experience 15:42 – Being a Worship Leader 17:36 – Say ‘Yes’ and figure it out 19:48 – Choosing not to teach 20:46 – First teaching gig 23:09 – Obtaining a Classical Voice Degree 25:31 – Transitioning from Traditional to Online voice lessons 28:48 – Creating resources and working with Voice Teachers 30:39 – The Vocal Instrument 101 40:55 – Finding independent studio teachers 45:27 – Important things a Voice Teacher should know
#73. Making Voice Pedagogy Accessible For All with Dr Shannon Coates Part II
00:55:31
This week's guest is Shannon Coates.
This is part II of my interview with Dr Shannon Coates, who is an educator, international presenter on Voice Pedagogy, creator of The Vocal Instrument 101 Online Course and in more recent times creator of the VoicePed UnDegree. In this episode, we continue with Shannon’s candid interview as she delves deeper into some of her teaching philosophies, and her beliefs regarding the current state of academic systems that are presently not delivering the training required to equip CCM singers for a professional career. Some of the topics Shannon shares her views on include, how we as voice teachers must ensure that what we think and what we do aligns with our core values and that it is essential that we check in with our biases in order to create inclusive voice studios. Furthermore, Shannon explains that there is more than one way to achieve results, and as voice teachers, we must be open to the possibilities of what a voice can do and how the voice can work efficiently to create the tonal outcomes required by the singer. We must not get stuck in a binary system where something is either right or wrong because the voice is a complex system that is different from person to person. Shannon’s mission is to continue to make vocal pedagogy practical, applicable and accessible, for everyone, especially for those outside of academia. There is so much more in this is a brilliant interview with Dr Shannon Coates.
03:24 – Personal experience with being silenced 07:49 – Discussion Post 10:13 – Dr. Shannon’s Pet project 13:42 – Teaching different techniques 15:08 – Understanding the possibilities of what the Voice can do 18:44 – Treating Voice as a complex instrument 21:04 – Understanding Formants in voice 26:32 – Things missing in terms of Singer’s Higher Education Training 31:09 – The Academic system’s promise 33:34 – Is CCM teachable in the academic system? 35:52 – Finding your authentic sound 40:38 – The Voiceped Undegree program 42:41 – What’s next for Dr. Shannon? 46:42 – Thoughts on Methodologies 51:52 – One piece of advice for the singing voice community
#75. The Benefits of Manual Therapies for the Vocal Athlete with Walt Fritz
01:07:54
This week’s guest is Walt Fritz.
As a voice teaching community, it is vital to keep an open mind to the various kinds of modalities that can be of assistance for a singer who may need help. This week’s guest is Walt Fritz, a licensed physical therapist who has taught Myofascial Release continuing education since 1995 and set up his training program, Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars™. In 2020, Walt rebranded his work and launched Manual Therapies Seminars, a new training program that he continues to teach all types of therapists including massage therapists, speech-language pathologists, voice professionals, physical therapists, and occupational therapists internationally. Walt also runs a closed physical therapy practice in New York where he treats select patients, including singers. He believes that singers are vocal athletes, and he realised the benefits of applying manual therapies to singers, a modality that was and still is typically thought to be applicable exclusively for traditional sports athletes. Walt describes his approach as creating a therapeutic relationship with his patients, where he asks them to collaborate in a constant back and forth, seeking to elevate and empower them to be a true partner in the process of evaluation and decision making. This is a truly informative interview with Walt as he also shares how issues regarding postural alignment can be overplayed, the importance of meeting and accepting patients where they are at, how we must allow a person to be heard, and listen to them without judgement and as practitioners, it’s not about the approaches we use, it’s about offering compassion and empathy. There is so much more. You are going to love listening to this episode with Walt Fritz.
In this episode 04:50 - Walt’s Training Background 09:19 - What is Myofascial Release? 12:42 - Benefits of an Iterative Approach 15:28 - Deficit as a Blessing 17:58 - Athletes Within Artists 22:02 - The Aid Which Physical Therapy Gives to Singers 26:15 - Diagnostics Preview 31:07 - Priors: A Concept in Psychotherapy 34:05 - Emboldened Patients with Therapist’s Selflessness 38:27 - Reimagining Yourself to Embrace Changes 41:51 - Significance of Proper Posture 48:09 - The Method of Patient-Centered Care 51:12 - Ensuring Mutual Learning is Possible and Judgements are Mitigated 56:05 - Defining Touch Base Intervention 1:02:45 - Greatest Lesson Learned About the Voice 1:03:47 - Piece of Advice for the Singing Voice Community
Is your life needing an injection of happiness and positivity? Maybe it’s time to give your attitude to life a spring clean? Perhaps your thoughts and behaviours need a massive sprucing up. You may be someone who blames life, blames others, your job, the pandemic, anything and everything, but have you ever considered that it could be you that’s the problem? Your lack of happiness could be a result of some negative behaviours and your current circumstance is a manifestation of these. You may not realise that your happiness and success in all parts of your life is your personal responsibility. It’s time to become accountable and stop blaming external situations or other people for your shortcomings or your lack of joy.
Not everything in life is in our control, but our actions are and positive action is necessary for a joyful and remarkable life. Today, I am going to share with you five unwanted behaviours that I believe have the potential to stifle your happiness and once these are banished from your life, you will be far better off. My hope is that by the end of this episode, you will be able to catch yourself next time you are about to fall into the trap of one of these five behaviours so you can start to experience the happiness and desire and truly deserve.
In this episode 01:06 — Is Your Life Needing an Injection of Happiness and Positivity? 02:38 — Life Is Always Not Smooth Sailing 04:12 — Number 1: Stop Trying to Please Everybody 05:09 — Don’t Let Anyone Tell You What Is Realistic and Achievable or Not 07:23 — Number 2: Stop Talking Negatively About Yourself 09:03 — Out Thoughts Are Not Always the Truth 10:45 — Number 3: Stop Gossiping About Others 13:24 — Become Cheerleaders and Not Haters 14:40 — Number 4: Stop Holding On to the Past 15:45 — See How Far You’ve Come in the Present 18:01 — Number 5: Stop Stressing About the Future 21:04 — Conclusion
#76. My Life, My Music Career and My Legacy with Alfred Jackson
01:00:18
This week’s guest is Alfred Jackson.
Alfred is a pop and R&B recording artist from LA. Just recently, I had the great pleasure of meeting Alfred on a cruise ship, where he was a guest entertainer performing with the boyband, Uptown. I was captivated by Alfred’s talent, energy, charisma and charm on stage and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview him in person on the ship. This was a fascinating conversation with Alfred who shared his professional journey, throughout the entertainment industry, which began at the age of nine and has led him to numerous and a diversity of career highlights. Some of these include being cast in numerous musical theatre productions such as the Book of Mormon in Sydney Australia, directing West Side Story, touring in the Man in the Mirror across the US, entertaining at Universal Studios Japan and performing with numerous boy bands.
Alfred has also had a very successful recording career as a singer-songwriter being signed to numerous music labels. At the age of 14, he was signed to his first record deal and he talks about how he was mistreated and body shamed at such a vulnerable young age. He shares with us that it was his mother who kept him grounded in an industry that could have destroyed his life. Over the years, Alfred has released two original albums which have been inspired by his own life experiences. His latest body of work is titled, UGLY, in which he shares his deeply personal account of his life and the importance of legacy. Alfred also discusses how he takes care of his physical, mental and emotional health in an industry where self-care is. You are going to love this interview with Alfred Jackson as he shares his stories, experiences and advice for others wishing to pursue a career in the music industry.
In this episode 07:27 — Alfred’s Singing Journey 10:00 — Singing Influences during his Young Age 12:48 — Transitioning to a Professional Singing Career 14:26 — Having a ‘Momager’ and its Impact on His Career 22:44 — Belonging to a Boy Band Group 25:48 — Singing a Healthy C5 in Pure Belt 30:32 — Our Voice Tells Us Where to Listen 32:26 — Impact of Traveling 34:19 — Warm-up Rituals 41:35 — Learning to Support the Voice 42:17 — Getting Into Musical Shows 44:48 — Working in Universal Studios in Japan for 4 years 47:45 — What Do You Do for Self-Care? 50:08 — Was There Ever a Time in Your Career That You Didn’t Feel Enough? 54:40 — Alfred’s New Album “U.G.L.Y” 56:14 — Advice for up-and-coming Artists 57:13 — Piece of Advice for Singing Teachers
#77. Harnessing Nature as my Guide with Elisa Stancil Levine
01:16:25
This week’s guest is Elisa Stancil Levine.
Elisa Stancil Levine is a world-class decorative artist and author of the book ‘This or Something Better’. Elisa describes herself as a writer, a maker, a nature lover, as well as, a little woo woo. In this week’s episode, Elisa shares her most inspiring life story, describing how she overcame adversity and the terrible trauma she faced from a young age, to how she became a very highly successful businesswoman, and the founder of Stancil Studios, an award-winning nationwide company. Elisa tells us that she was silenced as a very young child, and lived under a shadow of shame when she suffered the trauma of physical abuse from her grandmother and unthinkable sexual abuse at the hands of her step-grandfather. However, it was during this time she found peace in nature and began a beautiful relationship and trust for her outdoor surroundings. As a teenager, Elisa faced further trauma when her son was stillborn, and she felt she did not have a voice, but once again she found strength in nature and discovered that as a woman, she was resilient and could achieve success and greatness. Elisa believes that we all can harness nature as our greatest guide to living our most joyful and fulfilling life, just as she did, especially in the moments when she was silenced. Elisa shares many wonderful stories and the lessons that she has learned through the journey of her most incredible life. This is an awe-inspiring episode with Elisa Stancil Levine.
In this episode 06:06 — From State Park to Outdoor Theater 12:34 — Elisa’s First Realization of Wanting to Have a Voice 18:20 — Elisa’s Trauma With Her Step Grandfather 21:28 — Shadow of Shame From Childhood Trauma 23:07 — The Famous Nun: Sister Mary Karina 24:12 — Beginning of a Huge Pivotal Point 26:04 — Misogyny in the 1960’s 29:44 — Another Crushing Time 30:50 — Dealing With Tremendous Loss 35:01 — How Elisa Spent a Year With Her Son 36:34 — How the Remodeling Business Began 41:08 — The Mindset of a Problem Solver 43:33 — Being Out in Nature 46:53 — Influence of Nature 46:53 — One of the Most Rewarding Project of Stancil Studios 1:03:20 — Handling Fear and Healing From Past Trauma
#78. Life as a Cruise Industry Production Cast Vocalist with Kayla Saunders and Dominique Petit Frere
01:40:23
This week’s guests are Kayla Saunders & Dominique Petit Frere.
In July, A Voice and Beyond embarked on a “Beyond” adventure on a cruise ship sailing around the Mediterranean, but it wasn’t all play for me, as I had the pleasure of doing something that I hadn’t done before and that was to interview two guests simultaneously, in an in-person situation. Kayla Saunders and Dominque Petite Frere were two of the production cast singers performing onboard the ship, Celebrity Beyond, and they sat down and shared their own personal experiences as singers working within the cruising industry, in a tell-all interview. They explained the audition process, the gruelling rehearsal schedule, their work demands and performance expectations. We also discussed Kayla and Dom’s regime for maintaining good vocal health, but most importantly, how they take care of their physical, mental and emotional health and well-being while living in a pressure cooker environment, onboard a ship. Other important topics we delved into were how the cruising industry can provide support for its performers, for example, having a vocology team on standby to support vocalists’ healthcare needs, but also how the industry can further promote and create policy around inclusivity, belonging, equity and diversity. This is an eye-opening interview and I felt very privileged sitting in the company of both Kayla and Dom as they spoke so candidly about their personal experiences in an industry that can continue to improve support for its performers.
In this episode 05:35 — Kayla’s Musical Influences 07:44 — Dom’s Formal Musical Education 14:11 — Transitioning to life onboard a Cruise Ship 23:10 — Appointing a Vocal Captain 26:52 — What Is a Black Track? 31:10 — Impact of Manipulating the Voice 40:58 — Celebrity Beyond 54:21 — Responsibilities of a Vocal Captain 57:43 — Vocal Warmup Exercises 1:01:04 — Taking Care of Their Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health on the Ship 1:07:17 — Typical Production Show’s Schedule 1:13:58 — Things the Company Can Do Better for Artists 1:19:57 — Is There a Gender Bias in Terms of Pay? 1:24:47 — Being Black in the Entertainment Industry in Terms of Inclusivity 1:33:30 — Advice for Other Performers Coming to the Ship 1:36:39 — Kayla & Dom’s Next Plans
#79. How to Eat your Way to Good Health and Longevity with Duncan Rock
01:10:36
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome back Duncan Rock, one of our all-time favourite guests, from episode number 29, to discuss the very important topic of nutrition. For those of you who haven’t been introduced to Duncan, he is a professional baritone who has had an enduring career touring internationally with numerous opera companies for many years. After a life-changing event, Duncan decided to transition into the health and well-being field and is now a qualified nutritionist with a specialisation in promoting good health for performing artists, a registered exercise professional, and a member of the Royal Society for Public Health. Whilst studying for his Master’s degree in Human Nutrition, Duncan quickly learned that the best way to positively improve our health and longevity is through proper nutrition. Every day, we are being bombarded with information through the media regarding what constitutes good nutrition, the latest fad diet that promises the holy grail for weight loss, and the list goes on. This can be very confusing and in this episode, Duncan helps us to better understand what proper nutrition means by doing some myth busting. He explains how an appropriate nutrition plan not only promotes a healthy lifestyle that can enrich our lives, but it is the best way to defy all-cause mortality. Duncan tells us that we are currently living in an obesogenic environment in the western world and that the impact of overnutrition in our society has surpassed the impact of malnutrition. In today’s show, he not only shares his knowledge and philosophies on nutrition but also gives us hints and tips on some of the most basic things we can do on a daily basis to improve our eating habits. This is a most insightful interview with Duncan Rock and is not to be missed, especially if you are looking to improve your overall health and well-being.
In this episode 07:09 — Transitioning to the Field of Diet and Nutrition 12:12 — Poor Eating Habits as Top 3 Cause of Cancers 16:10 — Is Vegan Diet the Worst Diet Style? 20:41 — What Constitutes a Bad Nutrition? 25:15 — Type of Foods That Are Addictive 28:31 — Foods That Trigger Depression and Panic Attacks 41:55 — Eating the Correct Quantity of Food 46:00 — Carbohydrates vs Calorie Intake 48:12 — Carbohydrates’ Role in Serotonin Production 49:16 — Benefits of Fasting 53:13 — Hunger and Mindset Behind 56:34 — Importance of Knowing Your Metabolic Rate 57:15 — Fact or Myth: Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day 1:00:58 — Top 5 Recommend Foods 1:03:09 — Worst Foods You Could Possibly Eat
How often do you start your day feeling tired, stressed and dreading having to turn up because you don’t feel ready to face the day? Do you find that you are feeling burnt out and maxed out even before you walk out the door in the mornings? Could it be that you are someone who is always looking after everyone else’s needs and you have been neglecting your own? If this is the case, as I’m sure it is for many of us especially those of us who are educators, the problem is that you can’t take care of anyone else’s needs, if you are not taking care of your own. Now is the time for you to release your bottomless level of potential, live life on your own terms & add a level of value to the world that no one else can. In this episode, we share three simple steps on how you can step up self-care, which simply means taking better care of yourself. So many of us are constantly neglecting this area of our lives. We feel guilty about putting ourselves and our needs above others, even though we must do this as a way to protect, preserve and respect ourselves. It is time to win back your life, upgrade your happiness, and feeling of aliveness and become more present, productive and energised.
03:22 — What Is Self-Care? 04:53 — Why Self-Care Is So Important? 08:05 — Physical Self-Care 09:08 — Having Proper Nutrition, Proper Sleep, and Great Physical Activity Is Essential When It Comes to Self-Care 10:58 — Mental Self-Care 12:13 — Becoming Your Number One Cheerleader 13:10 — Pay Attention to How You Talk to Yourself 14:32 — Emotional Self-Care 16:04 — Journaling as an Effective Form of Emotional Self-Care 18:53 — Conclusion
#81. Giving a Voice to Parkinson's Disease Patients with Valeria Gary
00:50:16
This week's guest is Valeria Gary.
Have you ever wondered about the impacts on phonation for those who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease (PD)? In this episode, we speak with Valeria Gary who is a Health Coach and a Speech Language pathologist working within the healthcare industry. In 2015, Valeria transitioned her career as an SLP, to providing therapy to patients with PD, and works as a volunteer for Parkinson’s Foundation in Georgia and as the owner of Total Body Cognition and Southeast Parkinson’s Speech Services.
Currently, there are approximately 10 million people worldwide suffering from PD and in our conversation, Valeria explains that PD is a neurodegenerative disease, which means that it impacts the brain and the patient gradually worsens over time. She tells us that at this time, there are no known causes or cures for PD, however, with the correct medications and support, patients can maintain a good quality of life.
PD not only impacts the body but Valeria talks about the many ways it can affect phonation, such as patients experiencing reduced volume, monotone pitch and breathiness or hoarseness in the voice. She stresses that early intervention is most beneficial for the patient and it is easier to maintain function than to regain some. Valeria describes the clinical work she does with her patients, demonstrates some of the vocal exercises she uses along with their desired outcomes and how we as a voice community can create inclusive spaces for PD patients to enjoy and reap the benefits of singing. This is an informative and important episode for all of us to learn more about this terrible disease.
In this episode 04:06 — Valeria Gray’s Health Background 06:56 — Specializing in Parkinson’s Disease 08:56 — Michael J. Fox’s Impact on Parkinson’s Awareness 12:11 — Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease 15:15 — Is Parkinson’s Disease Fatal? 17:47 — Deep Brain Stimulation’s Benefit 18:33 — Development of Speech Degeneration 21:33 — Valeria’s Treatment Plan for Patients 26:44 — Barriers of Speech Therapy 29:25 — Frequency of Treatment 31:20 — Youngest Parkinson’s Disease Patient 31:54 — Patients Experiencing Depression and Anxiety 33:13 — Singing and Parkinson’s 40:35 — Cure for Parkinson’s Disease 45:17 — Raising Awareness for Parkinson’s Disease 46:24 — SpeechVive Device
#82. Holding Space for Vulnerability, Curiosity & Exploration in the Voice Studio with David Sisco Part I
00:49:51
This week's guest is David Sisco.
This is part one of a two-part interview with David Sisco, a New York-based voice teacher, who regularly lectures nationally and internationally on all things relating to singing voice pedagogy. David describes himself as a multi-hyphenate artist whose life work centres around exploring music, drama, writing, and teaching, finding great inspiration and commonalities in each. During this interview, David speaks candidly about his own personal and professional journey, which led him to an enduring career in the performing arts. He discusses how he developed his teaching skills, and that he calls himself an equal opportunity borrower because his teaching approaches have come from a variety of different sources. David firmly believes that we, as voice teachers, must become life-long learners and we need to invest in ourselves, so we can invest in our students. Furthermore, David states that it is important to honour knowledge and that as a voice community, we must continue to learn and grow together.
During our conversation, David talked about his teaching philosophy and how can we hold safer spaces for our students where they can allow themselves to become more vulnerable and to tell their stories, with honesty and without judgement. David affirms that we should be encouraging our students to become more curious and explore the possibilities of their voices and allow for playfulness.
Finally, David speaks openly about his beliefs regarding the status quo of voice programs within higher education, where students are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a university degree. He discusses the importance of providing context in student learning and that we must help our students understand the industry in which they are pursuing a professional career.
Remember this is part one of a two-part interview with the brilliant David Sisco and part two will follow next week.
In this episode 08:15 — David’s Earliest Memory of Singing 16:22 — Effects of Self-Sabotage 18:30 — Mental Emotional Connection in Singing 19:31 — The Importance of Sharing Your Voice With Students. 21:12 — David’s Happiest Time as a Performer 23:15 — Looking After Yourself Before Others 25:04 — David’s Teaching Career 28:14 — Benefits of a Student-Centered Type of Learning 30:16 — “If You Are a Teacher, You Are Life Long Learner” 33:16 — The Science of Teaching vs. Intuition. 36:31 — The Science of Teaching 40:53 — Creating a Safe Space for Students 42:12 — Are Educational Institutions Equipping Students With the Skills They Need to Be Employable? 45:21 — “Performing a Contemporary Musicals” Book by David Sisco and Laura Josepher
#83. Holding Space for Vulnerability, Curiosity & Exploration in the Voice Studio with David Sisco Part II
00:42:33
This week's guest is David Sisco.
This week we have part two of our two-part brilliant interview with David Sisco, a New York based freelance voice teacher, and multi-hyphenate artist, whose work life also encompasses being a published author, performer, music director, and commissioned composer. In this episode, David delves deeper into many important topics relating to our singing voice community, as well as his own teaching philosophies.
David discusses his intention to create a safer space in his teaching studio, by holding space for his students to foster curiosity, joy, and passion and to learn to trust their individuality and not be in judgement of it. He believes that as voice teachers it is our job to invite the uncomfortable, and we must all learn to fail better and not be guided by our own limiting beliefs of what we think the voice can do and what the individual student is capable of. Our biases and our knowledge should not act as a barrier between ourselves and the student. David admits that he calls himself a voice teacher and is not a voice scientist and that is ok. He shares, that as voice teachers, we love our labels and that as a voice teaching community we must stop shaming one another, know our lane and come together to uplift each other.
As David says so beautifully, it is time to celebrate all styles of singing in performance and research. This is a most inspirational and honest interview with David Sisco that is not to be missed.
In this episode 03:33 — The True Master-Apprentice Model 06:22 — Essential Requirements in Creating Safe Spaces 08:21 — Own Kind of Pedagogy in Musical Theater 11:29 — Efficient and Sustainable Singing 18:05 — Finding Stewardship for Ourselves 22:16 — Establishing Teacher-Student Boundaries 23:12 — Unleash Your True Self, Unlock Your Potential 25:31 — Shifting Archetypal Essence 28:03 — Rising Above Imposter Syndrome 31:10 — Extended Safe Spaces for Both Students and Teachers 32:25 — What’s Next for David Sisco? 37:15 — Piece of Advice for the Singing Voice Community
If someone asked you to recall the last time you were kind to yourself, would you struggle to bring up that memory? What does it mean for you to be kind to yourself? Do you practise self-kindness? Perhaps you find the word “self” off-putting – it seems selfish or self-centred somehow. In this episode, we discuss the importance of being kind to ourselves first, because being kind to others must start with self. It is not selfish and the truth is, self-kindness is also an essential component of good mental health. Research shows that when we carry out an act of kindness, the brain releases serotonin, the feel-good hormone which has a calming effect and stimulates positive feelings in the body. Imagine what this can do for your life! Today’s episode offers three simple ways to treat yourself with kindness and how to incorporate acts of self-kindness into your life each and every day.
In this episode 01:06 — What Does It Mean to Be Kind to Yourself? 03:29 — Love Yourself First 04:57 — 1. Stop Setting Unrealistic Expectations for Yourself in Any Given Situation 10:46 — 2. Self-Compassion 11:56 — What Is Self-Acceptance? 13:06 — Making Mistakes and Learning From It 15:31 — 3. Do Something That Brings You Joy Everyday 17:12 — Importance of Me Time 18:46 — Giving Yourself a “Break” 20:24 — Conclusion
#85. My Career as a Rebel Traditionalist with Cate Frazier-Neely
01:12:42
This week's guest is Cate Frazier-Neely.
Cate Frazier-Neely is a Singing Voice Specialist, a voice teacher with specialisation across many styles, a musician, an author, a visual artist and Somatic Educator. She is also involved in the Arts for Physical and Emotional Health. Cate candidly calls herself a traditionalist who is a rebel and in this episode, she reveals why. Cate explains that her own voice training was based on a traditional Western European Classical model, but has since stepped out to explore, perform and teach across other styles. Cate explains that as voice teachers, we need to step out of our own paradigms and we must continue to find opportunities to learn and adapt in our ever-evolving field. Cate also offers her views on different topics around singing voice pedagogy, the limitations of methodologies, the benefits of teachers having had a performance career and so much more. She shares many of her own personal and professional experiences within the singing voice industry, including those significant moments in time when she was silenced as a woman and as someone who trying to instigate change within the teaching community. There is so much to unpack in this interview with Cate Frazier-Neely and I am sure you’re going to enjoy listening and learning with Cate as much as I did.
In this episode 05:57 — Humble Beginnings 10:31 — The New Thing in Music Education the You Never Knew 13:31 — What is Classical Singing? 20:37 — The Territories Where You Think You Should Teach 24:29 — The Stains of Superiority and the Wisdom From Age 29:37 — Lessons for the Big Wigs 35:54 — Knowing the Heart, Not Just Technique 41:54 — Inspirations of the Great Teachings 46:18 — Do You Have the Right Motive to Teach? 49:28 — Putting the Muzzle on You 56:18 — Making a Stand and Using Your Voice 01:02:14 — Perspective as a Singing Voice Specialist 01:04:16 —Kate’s Mission 01:06:55 — It’s Okay Not to Know Things
#86. Let Your Inner Voice be Your Guide with Joyce Anastasia
01:09:54
This week's guest is Joyce Anastasia.
This week on A Voice and Beyond, I share a most inspiring interview with our special guest, Joyce Anastasia. Joyce is a transformational leadership consultant, with over 20 years of experience in multidisciplinary psychology, creative arts, business and leadership. In this episode, Joyce discusses some of her other roles as an educator, writer and visionary activist with a lifelong passion to inspire new ways to lead by wisdom and congruence. Joyce travels internationally alongside contemporary Western businesses, and their leaders, Indigenous Cultures and their wisdom keepers working with them to bridge the gap between Western and Indigenous cultures, encouraging new ways to manifest the critical shifts needed to create a more thriving planet.
Recently, Joyce published her book Extraordinary Leadership During Extraordinary Times. The primary focus of this book is to motivate us to discover personal ways to positively impact who we are and transform the systems that define our world. Joyce also shares her views on the importance of exploring creativity, the positive impact of good teamwork skills in the workplace, how a harmonious home life can set you up for a more positive business life, and the implications of operating out of fear in our day-to-day lives. This is a truly fascinating and profound interview with Joyce Anastasia, one not to be missed.
In this episode 05:19 — Where Did It All Begin? 11:21 — The Vision in the Playground 15:27 — Blessing or Curse 21:28 — Sharing the Gift to the World 26:27 — How Do Clients Reach You? 29:54 — The Process of Intuition 35:43 — Choosing to Transform Ourselves 40:19 — Triumph Over a World Full of Fear 46:37 — Steps Towards Global Transformation 51:39 — The Key Is Being Authentic 57:04 — Bridging the Gap Between Western and Indigenous 01:03:59 — The Seven Vital Keys 01:06:10 — Joyce’s Soul Print
#87. 3 Coping Strategies that will Transform Your Life
00:23:22
How are you coping in your life at present? Are you constantly in a state of overwhelm and feel as though you have too much going on? You’re spending every day simply treading water and you feel that it's not possible to catch up. This is the time that it’s most important to reset and recalibrate in order to get back to neutral, so you can manage your day, your week and your life in general. But, how do we get back that vibrancy when we’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed? In this episode, I’m going to talk you through three behaviours that may be causing you to spiral out of control and offer you some coping mechanisms around those habits. If you’re ready to move from chaos to calm, overwhelm to transforming your life, listen up!
In this episode 01:09 — 3 Coping Strategies 06:08 — #1. Learn to Prioritize 07:19 — Take Control of Your Situation and Remain Positive 08:57 — Allow Yourself to Breathe 09:43 — #2. Distraction Detachment 11:59 — Focus On What You Are Doing 13:04 — Set Yourself Up for Success 14:04 — #3. Congruence 15:32 — Avoid spending time with negative people 16:20 — How Often Do You Make a Decision? 18:46 — Trust Your Intuition 19:34 — Conclusion
#88. My Interview with Vocal Intuition: Advocating for CCM Singing Voice Pedagogy
00:47:45
Recently, I was invited to be a guest on a Facebook Live event with Anne Leatherland, who is a voice educator, business coach and the founder of Vocal Intuition based in the United Kingdom. During this interview, I was asked to speak about the process of researching and writing my book “Singing Contemporary Commercial Music Styles: A Pedagogical Framework”, as well as my own professional CCM journey which led me to an academic career path. In this episode, I decided to share this interview as I believe it is time for CCM to be respected and valued equally to classical music and no longer be treated as its poor relation, especially in academia.
This interview offers quite a rare insight into my 45 years of CCM industry experience, how I fell in love with this music as a young child, my award-winning career as a pop/rock vocalist, my serendipitous transition from performance career to teaching CCM styles, and my shock introduction into higher education as a mature aged post-graduate student. It was here that I realised that the music I had built a whole career upon, was not legitimised from an academic or pedagogical standpoint. This shock revelation launched my research into CCM singing voice pedagogy, write a book based on the results of that research and has inspired me to become an advocate for this music.
In this episode, I speak candidly about the status quo in higher education, and that it is time to listen to not only the needs of our students, but also the demands of music markets, music consumers, and music industry personnel as a voice community. I would love to hear from you if any parts of this interview resonated with you. A big thanks goes to Anne for having me as a guest and allowing me to speak on this topic.
In this episode 06:05 — Marisa’s Humble Beginnings 11:57 — Was Classical Singing a Thing? 17:31 — An Advocate for the CCM Community 24:42 — Music’s Supply and Demand 29:05 — Authenticity: The Most Important Ingredient 32:48 — The Special CCM Pedagogy 35:48 — Not Just Knowledge. Set It Up Your Voice! 37:23 — Warming Up to a Different Language 39:26 — Dismantling Their Articulated Backgrounds
Our guest in this week’s episode is Risa Groux, a functional nutritionist, certified autoimmune coach and author of the new book, FOODFRAME: Diet is a Four-Letter Word.
In her practice, Risa deals with a number of diseases which include autoimmune diseases, diabetes, cancer, digestion issues, thyroid problems, and hormone imbalances, just to name a few. She believes that education is key to improved health and the more educated we are about health and nutrition, the more improved life quality we can all lead. One of the problems we face is misconceptions about the various diets that are available and Risa tells us that not all diets will allow us to thrive. She believes that a one size fits all approach to nutrition doesn’t work and that people should be eating according to their current health status. Risa helps us break down the most popular mainstream diets, which include Paleo, Ketogenic, Autoimmune Protocol, Vegan, Low FODMAP and Low Lectin diets and shares with us those who would benefit from these various diets based on their health problems.
Risa states that our genetics load the gun when it comes to our health, but that it is our lifestyle that pulls the trigger and one example of this is the current health crisis facing our children who have a one in three chance of becoming a type two diabetic due to the overconsumption of sugar in that part of our population.
Risa offers many pearls of wisdom when it comes to some of the measures we can take to improve our overall health and well-being by not only minimising sugars, but also by alleviating bad oils, doing a simple detox, including a daily intake of vital supplements and the benefits of getting back to cooking at home and eating meals at the table as a family rather consuming fast foods. There is so much in this episode with Risa Groux you don’t want to miss.
What is the status of your self-worth at present? How do you determine your self-worth? Many people base their value on things such as how many friends they have, their income, what car they drive, what neighbourhood they live in, the number of social media followers they have, and even their relationship status. All these are external factors and in this episode, we talk about how our worth is at the core of our very selves—our thoughts, our feelings, and our behaviours. These are all intimately tied to how we perceive our value as human beings, our internal sense of simply being good enough and worthy of love and belonging from others. If you are struggling with your self worth this episode is for you. Today’s show offers you three simple steps to help you increase your self worth.
In this episode 01:10 — What is Self-Worth? 06:18 — You Determine Your Self-Worth 07:57 — Challenge Your Inner Voice 08:30 — Self-Worth Rooting from Childhood Experiences 10:42 — Practicing Self-Compassion 11:37 — Joy and Sorrow 12:46 — Learning Self-Compassion 14:35 — Don’t Tear Others Down to Build Your Self-Worth Up 15:05 — Stop Gossiping Other People! 17:30 — When You Value Yourself, You Value Others 18:17 — Conclusion
#91. The Master-Apprentice Model: A Powerful Hierarchy with Travis Sherwood
01:11:36
This week on a Voice and Beyond, we welcome, Travis Sherwood, who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California. Travis currently serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Vocal Area Coordinator on the faculty of San Diego State University, School of Music and Dance. Travis frequently lectures and presents on the subjects of artistic literacy, student-centred pedagogy, voice pedagogy, and vocal literature.
In this episode, Travis discusses his research into the traditions, evolution and limitations of the master-apprentice Model. Travis tells us that this learning environment establishes a clear hierarchy of power in the teacher-student relationship. He explains that the master-apprentice tradition is rooted in the experiences of the master, requiring students to value the teacher’s observations of their voice over their own. From an inferior position, students become dependent on their teachers, often ignoring their bodies in pursuit of the “correct” way to sing. Additionally, in this teacher-centred pedagogy, students frequently silence their artistic and technical instincts.
Travis warns us that by perpetuating this tradition, we are not creating safe spaces where students can be expressive, artistic and explore their voices autonomously. He states that there are still certain elements of this tradition permeating in our profession and as voice teachers we must check in on ourselves to ensure we are not perpetuating this teaching model. He suggests we can begin by questioning whether out teaching is grounded in a student-centred philosophy and that our teaching values and builds off the knowledge and experiences of our students. As a mentor and co-learner, we must listen to students with an empathetic ear, responding to their needs and encouraging their sense of individual agency. Travis believes that as we move into the future, the master-apprentice model can limit the possibility of evolution in the voice teaching field.
This is a most fascinating and informative interview with Travis Sherwood and one that will inspire many to reflect on their teaching practices.
In this episode: 06:11 — The Background of a Master 07:43 — Experience From a Student-Centered Teacher 11:08 — Master-Apprentice: The Status Quo 20:08 — The Effects of the Traditional Model 21:19 — Breaking Free From Dependency 23:33 — The Limited Perspective of the Overseer 29:22 — Teachers Being Life-Long Students 32:11 — Reverberating the Student’s Language 35:36 — The Things That Permeated From the Histories 37:54 — The Evolution of Teaching the Voice 40:38 — Balancing Act of Voice Science 44:17 — Harms of High Art and Lower Art Mentality 50:42 — Is It an Open or a Closed Repertoire? 01:01:05 — Be Student-Centered: Grounding the Pedagogy 01:03:54 — Travis’ Best Advice
#92. Reconnecting with your Authentic Self though Health and Fitness with Leah Coutts
01:13:32
Research shows that your genetics load the gun, but it is your lifestyle that pulls the trigger. Despite this being the case, so many people continue to self-sabotage their health and longevity and according to this week’s guest, Leah Coutts, if you don’t fully believe that you are worthy, you will self-sabotage your health and well-being, whether you want to or not. Today, we welcome Leah who is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Research Department at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, as well as a health and fitness coach, a bodybuilding and prep coach, a posing coach, a pro bodybuilder and owner of Soulfulveganfitness, a health and lifestyle business!
Leah shares her incredible journey into the health and lifestyle industry that began when she was misdiagnosed by her doctors as a child and was inspired even further when she was again facing another misdiagnosis as a teenager. Leah defied all the limitations that were placed upon her by the medical profession at the time with sheer determination. This led her to succeed in areas of her life that were deemed impossible.
Based on her own experiences with the medical profession, along with other life events, it has become Leah’s mission to empower others to make positive changes in their lives and to guide them to develop a mindset of not accepting other’s limitations. Leah is truly inspirational as she offers so many great pieces of advice in this episode.
In this episode 05:09 — A Calling to Fitness and Academia 14:01 — Pushing Through What Genes Dictates 17:39 — Deconditioning the Preconditioned 22:50 — To Be Empowered Is to Be the Best Self 38:23 — Breaking Society’s Dictation Towards Body Image 40:16 — Listening to the Voice of the Mind and Body 49:07 — The Meaning Behind Soulful Vegan Fitness 54:02 — Catering Towards a Personalized Fitness 59:46 — History’s Narration That Needs To Be Fixed 01:02:17 — The Habit of Being Purposeful for the Morrow 01:07:11 — The Great Purpose of Leah
#93. My Career from Entertaining Queens to Presidents with Leah Canali
01:10:41
This week’s guest is Leah Canali, whose career journey has seen her achieve great success for over 20 years as a vocalist, songwriter, session singer, and commercial jingle composer. Leah is a multi-genre master with a voice that has been described as having a signature smoky soulful tone, with a healthy dose of coveted whistle tones.
Leah is known as the Queen who sings for Queens and in this episode, Leah shares her many career highlights which include becoming one of the go-to vocalists and songwriters for the RuPauls Drag Race franchise, having written, recorded and performed with many of the franchise’s stars. In 2021, Leah co-wrote, produced and sang on “The Taste” EP which debuted at #5 on the iTunes Pop Charts and featured the song “Come Through” which went viral on TikTok. Her many performance credits include The Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Pride Toronto, World Pride, World Fashion Week, as well as The Official Inaugural Party of Barack Obama. Leah gives us an insight into her career trajectory, her songwriting process, the skills that emerging artists need in order to have sustainable careers, how she manages her own vocal health during a busy working schedule, the importance of self-care for performing artists, issues around misogyny in the performing arts and so much more. This episode with Leah Canali is not to be missed.
In this episode 04:40 — The Origin Story of Leah Canali 08:30 — Healthily Equipping Different Instruments 15:07 — The Genre That’s Connected to the Soul 16:51 — An Arrangement Towards Unexpected Things 20:07 — The Queen Who Sings for Queens 27:19 — BTS on the Queen’s Iconic and Memorable Songs 32:43 — What is the Credibility of an Artist? 36:17 — The Inaugural Party of Obama 38:56 — Making Performing a Steady Income 42:01 — Being a Woman in the Music Industry 44:50 — A Good Performance Reflects a Healthy Body 55:17 — Leah’s Achievements and Goals 59:23 — Best Piece of Advice to Emerging Artists
#94. Quit Imposter Syndrome and Step Into Your Authentic Self
00:07:39
Are you someone who is constantly doubting themselves and you feel that your authentic self is not valuable enough? Do you compare yourself to others and feel like an imposter? Imposter syndrome is a real thing and it can affect anyone irrespective of background or skill level. To put it simply, imposter syndrome is the experience of feeling like a phony & feeling as though at any moment you’re going to be found out as a fraud.
Unfortunately, if this is you, you will never feel the satisfaction that comes from personal authenticity, and achieving the things that you aspire to.
In this episode, we want to inspire you to stop faking & stop conforming, especially as we near the end of the year. Now is the time for you to release your bottomless level of potential. You have the ability to live life on your own terms & add a level of value to the world that no one else can. It’s time for you to make the next phase of your life shine.
#95. Beat Procrastination and Win Back Your Life in 2023
00:12:32
So many of us set our goals for the new year ahead with all good intentions and then………procrastination sets in! How often do you begin an important task and then suddenly find yourself standing in front of the coffee machine five minutes later? You feel as though you are going nowhere fast in life because instead of moving forward toward your goals, it feels like you’re stagnating and could be doing more with your life. It could be that you are guilty of procrastination. This is the act of delaying or postponing an important task and what we end up doing is that we focus on less urgent, more enjoyable, and far easier activities instead.
In today’s episode, I will share some simple ideas that can help you manage your day, and have you feeling more motivated, productive, creative, and inspired to get you started on that very thing you have been putting off. You have one life and you have the potential for greatness. Let us help you beat procrastination today, so you can win back your life in 2023.
Money can be a sensitive topic for many, but as we head into the new year, now is the perfect time to check in on your money mindset. Did you know that the desire to have more money and to eliminate debt, both rated in the top ten list of resolutions people aspire for each and every new year? Unfortunately, despite all good intentions, most people fail due to their limiting beliefs around money. If you find yourself constantly worrying about your financial situation, and you don’t know how to make a shift from being broke to an abundant lifestyle, then today’s episode is for you. Whatever it is that is causing you to have an unhealthy attitude towards money, we reveal how you can shift those limiting behaviours to create a healthier money mindset. Whether you want to generate more wealth in order for you to live a life of abundance or to serve your mission to improve the life of others, this episode is dedicated to helping you achieve your financial goals in 2023.
Are you living the best of who you think you are right now? Are you living your life to your full potential? In life, we won’t feel joy by accident, we won’t achieve successful outcomes by accident, and we won’t show up at our best by accident. We all need to set intentions for our lives.
In this episode, we discuss how we can cultivate a healthy and joyful mindset irrespective of what is happening around us by setting intentions for the life we want to live, and the person we want to become in the here and the now. An intention isn’t necessarily a goal or something that we measure, it’s simply a commitment to ourselves. It’s a promise we make to ourselves that aligns with our values. We encourage you to stop relying on the randomness of the world and the randomness of life to bring you what you so desire.
Now is the time to become very deliberate in your words and in your actions and begin setting daily intentions in order to cultivate the future of your dreams. Listen and connect to your internal guide. I promise you, you will begin to create more powerful moments, in more moments of your day.
#98. Passion, Process and Storytelling in the Business of Making Theatre with Tyran Parke
01:18:51
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we are so honoured to have Tyran Parke as our special guest. Tyran is an award-winning singer, actor, director and recording artist. Since graduating from WAAPA in 1999, Tyran has played some of the truly great roles written for music theatre, all of which have received stellar reviews. He is currently the Head of Music Theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), the Executive Producer of the Australian Musical Theatre Festival and the Artistic Director of Clovelly Fox Theatre Company.
In today’s episode, Tyran talks frankly about the Music Theatre industry from his own personal and professional perspective as someone who has performed, written, workshopped, directed, taught in the theatre industry and has creatively consulted all over Australia and in NZ for many years. It is a not to be missed episode, especially for anyone who is currently involved in the performing arts in a creative role, or is a student, an emerging performer, teacher, or who simply loves theatre.
Tyran Parke shares so many pearls of wisdom for all to learn from. So without further ado, let’s go to today’s episode.
In this Episode 0:00 - Introducing Tyran Parke 15:18 - Finding the best idea in the room 21:23 - The greatest piece of advice he has ever been given 31:26 - Checking in with yourself and your biases 44:02 - What is the number one mistake people make in auditions? 50:13 - How the mega-musical has changed the sound of musical theatre. 1:02:30 - Why do we have sensitivity readers for productions? 1:12:23 - Advice for those who want to get into the performing arts industry.
#99. Historical Bias Against Popular Music Education Part I with Matt Edwards and Jacqlyn Zito-Edwards
00:56:18
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we have a very special episode lined up for you. This is part one of a two-part interview in which we welcome Matt Edwards and Jacqlyn Zito-Edwards, who have been working together and conducting ongoing research into the roots of academic bias against popular music.
Jacqlyn is an adjunct assistant professor of voice for the musical theatre program at Shenandoah Conservatory and serves on the faculty at the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute. Matt has been working at Shenandoah University since 2010 as an Associate Professor, within the Voice and Musical Theatre departments. He is also the Coordinator of Musical Theatre Voice and Artistic Director of CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute.
In this fascinating episode, Matt and Jacqlyn delve into the history of the classism and racism that was evident in American society during the late 19th century and into most of the 20th century. Matt and Jacqlyn explain that it is important to understand the history in order to unravel why the bias against popular music styles continues to perpetuate in higher education. Matt and Jacqlyn share with us that these biases have been handed down generationally, and contribute to the continued delay in expanding popular music education in higher education.
Matt and Jacqlyn are advocating for change in the status quo of music education programs and believe that as a voice community, it is time to create change in the cultural hierarchy in voice education. As they explain, it’s not a battlefield of pedagogical approaches, but of trying to gain a better understanding of the world we all work in now. This is a not to be missed interview with Matt and Jacqlyn.
Please remember this is part one of a two-part interview with Matt Edwards and Jacqlyn Zito-Edwards. Next week, we will be proudly celebrating our 100th episode release and part two of this interview will go live the week following our special 100th episode.
In this Episode 1:16 - Introducing Matt and Jacqlyn 11:27 - Transitioning from classical to teaching CCM 26:34 - Bias in Popular music in High Education 29:00 - The inspiration behind their research 40:13 - Theodore Presser’s impact on music publishing 51:42 - Music enrolment is falling
This week, I am so proud and very excited to be launching our 100th episode of A Voice and Beyond.
Since releasing my first episode in March 2021, there have been a number of shifts in the show’s format, the show’s target audience, and the show’s content, but most importantly, the podcast has made a difference to many of the listeners who engage with the show every week. It has shifted lives from chaos to calm, from anxiety to peaceful bliss and from a negative mindset to a positive one.
The biggest shift that has happened to me personally, is that I have stepped into my own sense of “self.” It has truly been a reflective and empowering journey of self-discovery as host of this show. I have learned that I am enough and the greatest lesson I would like to share with you in our 100th episode is that you are enough, and the work we must do to empower ourselves in our lives starts with “self”.
In this week’s 100th episode, I would like to share my four greatest “self” lessons that I have learnt over the time producing A Voice and Beyond that have helped me step into my greatest self.
In this Episode 1:10 - Introducing Episode 100 6:43 - #1 Self Love 13:24 - #2 Self Care 18:09 - #3 Self Reflection 22:50 - #4 Self Worth 27:03 - Conclusion
#101. Historical Bias Against Popular Music Education Part II with Matt Edwards and Jacqlyn Zito-Edwards
00:52:13
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we continue with part two of our most informative interview with Matt Edwards and Jacqlyn Zito-Edwards. If you haven’t already listened to part 1, please go listen to episode #99 where we introduce our discussion into some of the important and crucial discoveries that Matt and Jacqulyn have made during their ongoing research into the roots of the academic bias against popular music education.
In today’s fascinating episode, Matt and Jacqlyn delve even further into the history of classism and racism that was evident in American society during the late 19th century and into most of the 20th century. Matt and Jacqlyn explain that the curricular recommendations of the National Association of Schools of Music are still built on those 19th and 20th-century beliefs, and these recommendations are now irrelevant and outdated. It is time to start thinking about the world we live in now, and the students we are serving now. They believe it is time to diversify and we, as teachers in the voice community, can make a difference and we can lead the charge toward initiating change, updating curricula and creating new pathways within academic systems. Matt and Jacqlyn affirm that we, the voice teaching community, are the ones who need to have open and welcoming conversations about the future of popular music education because academia is not set up to figure this out. There are many other great recommendations, important facts and brilliant pieces of advice shared within this episode around the teaching of popular music styles, or CCM as we know it. You do not want to miss it.
Please remember this is a two-part interview of our fascinating and most informative discussion with Matt Edwards and Jacqlyn Zito-Edwards and you can find part one in episode number 99.
In this Episode 1:15 - Welcoming back Matt and Jacqlyn 13:18 - Students being told “they’ll be able to sing anything” 24:01 - Student centred learning 34:20 - The forums on social media 37:38 - Higher Education 42:30 - Listening to your students 48:43 - Teaching students the music they want to learn
#102. From Songwriting to Developing a Popular Music Program with Caleb James Part I
00:48:53
Over the past few weeks on A Voice and Beyond, we have been delving into the world of Popular Music education in academia and this week we will continue on with some of that discussion with our guest, Caleb James who is a Senior Lecturer in the Bachelor of Music Program at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and Course Convenor of the Popular Music Program within that institution. For over 20 years, Caleb has facilitated hundreds of music projects nationally and internationally and has been involved at a high level with Record Labels, Distribution Labels, and Tours performing hundreds of shows in a range of successful bands all around Australia.
Caleb shares with us his career pathway from that highly successful career in the music industry as an award-winning international songwriter and music producer, and how he transitioned into an academic career in a supervisory role. Caleb is the course content creator in the Popular Music Program, and he has developed a program that is meeting the demands of today’s music students, current music markets and music consumers internationally. In this interview, you will be inspired by Caleb’s deep passion for songwriting, and his teaching philosophy which is to unlock that artistic passion within his students.
I might just add here that Caleb is my boss at QCGU and I am really thrilled to speak with him about our very exciting, unique, and innovative popular music program. One that we are all proud to be a part of. This is a not to be missed episode.
In this episode 3:02 - Introducing Caleb James 5:30 - Caleb’s introduction to the music industry 19:41 - Songwriting and Touring 34:59 - Transitioning into a teaching role 46:07 - Developing a Popular Music Program
#103. From Songwriting to Developing a Popular Music Program with Caleb James Part II
00:56:52
This week on A Voice and Beyond we continue delving into the world of Popular Music education in academia, as we release part two of our two-part interview with our guest, Caleb James who is a Senior Lecturer in the Bachelor of Music at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and is the Course Convenor of the Popular Music Program.
In Part 1, Caleb shared his career pathway from a highly successful career in the music industry as an award-winning touring performer, international songwriter and music producer, working at a high level with Record Labels, and Distribution Labels, and how he transitioned into an academic career in a supervisory role. In this episode, Caleb discusses how he has developed and continues updating the course content for the popular music program, which is growing in demand every year.
Although QCGU has adopted such an innovative popular music program, Caleb understands that not all academic institutions are so receptive or progressive when it comes to change. Caleb describes some of the roadblocks that teachers, educators and the institutions themselves may encounter while trying to update and create new curricula. He tells us quite candidly that when developing new academic music programs, it requires a commitment to controlled chaos. He believes that students who do arts’ degrees don’t want to go down traditional learning pathways and it takes steady calculated risks to create an environment where students are excited to be there to learn.
Remember this is Part 2 of a two-part interview with Caleb James and Part 1 of this interview, is episode number 102. Once again, I am really thrilled to be sharing another episode with Caleb, my boss from QCGU.
In this episode 1:06 - Welcoming back Caleb James 4:24 - The origin of the popular music programme at QCGU 15:17 - The Popular Music Program today 23:20 - Writing 20 songs in 1 day 30:37 - What Caleb looks for during auditions 36:27 - Self Care 50:03 - Caleb’s one piece of advice
Are you letting fear hold you back from the life you dream of or the person you dream of becoming? Life is so demanding of all of us, and there will be bad days and setbacks. It’s all about how we deal with it. One of the best ways to move through life is by letting go of fear. Don’t let your fear hold you back. This takes courage and once you embrace courage, it will lead you to believe in your abilities and allows you to see the world from a different perspective. Letting go of fear gives you the power to chase after things that are important to you. In this episode, we will help you change your perspective around fear from a negative perspective to a positive one.
It’s time to start celebrating the positives in your life and become your own cheerleader. Recognise the effort it took to overcome your fears and celebrate those wins you had to get to where you are at right now. As you begin to live more courageously in your life, know that your actions and outcomes will speak volumes. It’s time to keep pushing yourself to step outside of your comfort zone consistently. Don’t let fear hold you back. You only have one chance at this life. Without question, the life you want to live is worth the effort. You are worth it. Always have been and always will be.
In this Episode 1:10 - Introduction to today’s episode 6:22 - Start by acknowledging your fears 10:47 - Own your fear 15:57 - Ask more for what you want 20:24 - Don’t let your fear hold you back
What I love about the entertainment business is how everyone has a story to share and everyone’s journey is so unique. This week on A Voice and Beyond, we introduce you to Jacob Starks, who is a singer/ dancer currently performing in the cast of Aladdin on Broadway. I am so excited to introduce you to Jacob as I had the pleasure of meeting him for the time in 2018 on the cruise ship Celebrity Solstice, where he was performing as a production cast singer in his first contract for Celebrity. Last year, we caught up again in the Mediterranean on the ship Celebrity Beyond, where he told me that his dream was to go to New York and perform in a music theatre show on Broadway. Well, he has done it!!
Prior to working for Celebrity, Jacob was employed at Walt Disney World in The Festival of the Lion King, with FELD Entertainment; and Universal Studios Japan.
In this episode, Jacob shares his unique journey that has led him to landing his dream job. Despite not having had any formal voice training, dropping out of college and being fired by two different entertainment companies, he believes that these life events have led him to where he is now. Jacob also discusses the audition process that landed him his dream role, the busy rehearsal schedule, the expectations of production companies, his own experiences as someone belonging to a minority group and the general demands of being a performer on Broadway. Jacob Starks is one of my very favourite people and I am sure you are going to love him as well.
In this Episode 1:27 - Introducing Jacob Starks 7:14 - Jacob’s training and growing up in Louisiana 17:20 - Do you feel like not having formal training held you back? 26:42 - Auditioning for a role at Disney World 35:35 - Finishing up with Celebrity and auditioning for Broadway 40:53 - Do you have to be part of a union? 42:40 - Is it who you know? 1:04:49 - Is covid still impacting the shows on Broadway? 1:14:16 - What’s next for Jacob?
#106. The Secret to Good Health and Vitality with Neil Cannon
01:05:24
This week’s guest is Neil Cannon.
One area of self-care we can all do better at, whether we want to admit it or not, is nutrition. When it comes to nutrition, we're all too eager to ignore the evidence and yet nutrition is undeniably a major contributor to our quality of life, and longevity. If this is an area of your life you have been neglecting, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode of A Voice and Beyond with special guest Neil Cannon. Neil is one of the most insightful and thought-provoking guests I have ever had on the podcast and if he doesn’t inspire you to take a good look at your own lifestyle habits, I don’t know who will.
Neil is a nutrition & health professional, speaker, coach, podcast host and bestselling author of The Vitality Secret. In this interview, he shares with us that as he was growing up, he suffered from chronic illnesses and his battle with these health conditions inspired him on a journey of discovering the relationship between many common chronic illnesses and poor nutrition. Neil reveals that inflammation is the root cause of some of the most common chronic health challenges that exist today, such as diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, many common digestive challenges, arthritis, obesity, low testosterone, low energy, brain fog, migraines and many more. He believes that anyone can improve their health by combating chronic inflammation and he gives us examples of how to reverse engineer some of these conditions using a number of different approaches, covering the physical, mental and emotional pillars of healing. Neil also discusses some of the greatest misconceptions about health and wellness, the main environmental toxins in the 21st century, the impact of chronic stress on our bodies, how medicine and the health industry has become a modern business and so much more. You don’t want to miss out on this episode, especially if you or someone you know is suffering from a chronic health issue.
In this Episode 1:15 - Introducing Neil Cannon 9:42 - Western Medicine 14:07 - What it means to be a health and vitality expert 18:39 - Diagnosing chronic illness and symptoms 36:56 - What is EMF and how does it affect you? 52:27 - Listening to your body 57:31 - What are toxins?
#107. Time to Stop Feeling Stuck and Just Get on With It!
00:26:52
Do you feel stuck or in a rut? Instead of moving forward, it feels as though you are trapped in a pothole. You appear to be living what most would call the perfect life, but deep down, you still feel unfulfilled. You may have a good job, a great relationship, a beautiful family and amazing friends, but you feel stuck, and like something is missing in your life. You want to be doing more with your life and you want more for your life, but you can’t seem to get out of that funk. This is something we’re all challenged with at one time or another in our lives. We all go through those periods in our lives where we feel stuck or in a rut and we don’t know how to get out of that mindset and how to start taking action. If you’re running on autopilot or going through the motions, there are ways you can get unstuck.
In today’s episode, we are going to figure out why you may be feeling stuck and help you identify the root cause of your feelings. I will share some really basic ideas that can help you narrow down your strategies to regain your sense of purpose and create that forward momentum you need to start over again, feeling more motivated, productive, creative and inspired to get you going on those very things you have been putting off.
In this Episode 1:11 - Introduction 5:40 - Setting yourself up 13:29 - People pleasers 19:59 - Overwhelm holding you back
#108. Popular Musics Singing and Pedagogy with Jess Baldwin
01:13:28
This week’s guest is Jess Baldwin.
This week on a Voice and Beyond, we welcome the multi-talented Jess Baldwin, who is a creativity and artist coach, contemporary voice specialist, indie soul singer-songwriter and producer, as well as the owner of True Colours Voice and Artist Coaching. Jess has also created Singing in Popular Musics, which is a centralised space where voice teachers and vocal coaches can learn from the great pioneers and experts in Popular Musics singing and pedagogy. Jess shares with us that she created this space to help other voice teachers expand their focus beyond vocal technique to a more complete picture of a popular musics’ singer’s needs by regularly providing carefully curated articles that keep up with the rapidly changing world of Popular Music.
In today’s episode, Jess talks about her own personal and professional journey throughout academia and how she transitioned from her formal classical voice training to performing, writing and producing across popular music styles. Jess explains how she developed her own pedagogical approaches across the broad range of popular musics’ styles, why she refers to CCM as Popular Musics, the importance of student led learning, and what it means to be authentic in performance. Part of our conversation was also about advocating for change in the field of CCM singing voice pedagogy in academia. There is so much more in this show as Jess and I really dig deeply in some of our discussions. This is a brilliant and candid interview with Jess Baldwin. One you don’t want to miss.
In this Episode 1:15 - Introduction 8:02 - How Julia cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” helped her discover her own voice. 18:08 - What is the purpose of academic music spaces? 31:29 - Where did you pick up your teaching approaches? 37:10 - What has inspired your teaching? 42:32 - Do music industry professionals and record labels use the term “popular music”? 55:56 - Singing in Popular Music and how it started. 1:02:07 - How can we be sure that our teaching approaches are student-led? 1:08:30 - What do you want your legacy to be?
#109. The Simple Truths About Being Loved with Humble the Poet
01:12:31
This week’s guest is Humble the Poet.
This week on A Voice and Beyond, I am thrilled to introduce you to Humble The Poet, a Canadian-born rapper, spoken-word artist, poet, internationally bestselling author who began his career pathway as an elementary school teacher. Humble has since been featured on major media outlets all around the world and has a massive social media following with more than 2.6M followers on YouTube alone. Over the past few years, Humble has also had huge success with his first two book releases: UNLEARN & THINGS NOBODY CAN TEACH US, both of which have become international bestsellers. In this episode, we talk about his latest book release which is titled HOW TO BE LOVE(d): Simple Truths For Going Easier On Yourself, Embracing Imperfection & Loving Your Way To A Better Life . In his latest book, Humbles writes about many concepts and themes around love, a word that has been googled over 14 billion times.
Today, Humble explains what he believes is the true definition of love and adds that to discover true love, we must complete ourselves and strengthen our relationship with self, first and foremost before we open ourselves to discover love. Humble also shares his insights on the journey of love, things people do wrong in their pursuits for love, the biggest myths around love, and why we should not fall in love with potential. There are so many of his pearls of wisdom shared by Humble.
In this Episode 1:14 - Introduction 7:46 - How Humble came into poetry 15:15 - Talking about Humble’s books 21:40 - Humble’s definition of love 38:57 - The influence on relationships by social media 43:31 - The role our parents play in our love story 51:26 - Is there such a thing as conditional love? 53:56 - Deal breakers in relationships 1:06:48 - Humble’s final words
Over the past few months, many of my guests on the podcast have spoken about the importance of authenticity, and honouring our most authentic selves. It seems to be a hot topic that is constantly coming up in my interviews, whether I’m speaking with a singing voice teacher, a healthcare professional, a business coach or a relationship expert. They all stress how important it is to travel through life as our most authentic selves, and yet it’s something so many of us struggle with in life, myself included.
This struggle is real for many of us due to our lack of self-esteem, fear of judgment by others, or an overwhelming desire for others to accept us. Then, there are other factors such as past experiences, perhaps from our childhood, while we were growing up that have led us to shut down because we were shut down when we spoke our truth. This experience has taught us to mistakenly believe that it isn't safe to be genuine and authentic.
In today’s episode, I’m going to share with you my take on what is means to be authentic and unpack some basic reasons why you may be holding back on honouring your most authentic self. So if you’re not being true to yourself right now, your own personality, your core values, and your inner self, regardless of the pressure that you're under to act otherwise, then listen up! This episode is for you because we are going to share three basic ways you can step into your authenticity.
In this Episode 1:09 - Introduction 7:04 - Learning to be authentic 13:55 - Stop comparing yourself to others 21:01 - Turn your focus inward 26:16 - Conclusion
#111. An Integrative Approach to Vocal Wellness with Megan Durham
01:21:30
Our guest this week on A Voice and Beyond, is Megan Durham who currently serves on the voice faculty at the University of Louisville. Megan works as a Singing Voice Specialist, partnering with laryngologists (ENTs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to habilitate singers, actors, and professional voice users who have experienced vocal injuries. Megan uses an integrative approach to vocal wellness that cultivates mind-body-voice awareness for maintaining authentic communication.
She explains that by cultivating mindfulness, self-inquiry, and an emphasis on observation rather than correction, this collaborative work provides an approach to voice care that empowers individuals to more clearly identify their voice and its innate creative agency. She uses several different modalities which includes yoga, to help establish composure in times of anxiety, depression and trauma, through breath, physical postures, mudra, and sound. Megan further explains her trauma informed approaches to teaching voice, what it means to be trauma informed, the impact of trauma on our singing bodies, how to create a feeling of safety for our students, and the ways in which we can successfully set boundaries within our teaching voice studios.
This a most fascinating, interesting and not be missed interview with Megan Durham.
In the Episode 1:15 - Introduction 11:22 - Megan’s journey of self-discovery 16:52 - How yoga and pilates changed her voice 32:37 - What is involved with being a singing voice specialist 51:09 - What is trauma-informed 1:09:44 - The importance of self-care in creating safe spaces 1:18:03 - What Megan is working on next
#112. Unlocking our Own Extraordinary with Patricia Crisafulli
00:58:32
Our guest this week on A Voice and Beyond is Patricia Crisafulli, who is an author, New York Times Bestselling Storyteller, communications consultant, and founder of FaithHopeandFiction.com. As a former journalist, Patricia has been published in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, as well as the Christian Science Monitor.
Patricia tells us that as a child, she had a terrible stutter and through writing she discovered her voice, as it gave her a means to authentically communicate what she needed to say. Her first published book Remembering Mother, Finding Myself: A Journey of Love and Self-Acceptance was featured in the national media, including Cosmopolitan magazine. In this book Patricia writes about the tragic loss of a mother being one of the most traumatic experiences of a woman's life.
Since then, Patricia has gone on to becoming an award-winning New York Times best-selling author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books. Patricia believes that fiction and non-fiction are the intersection between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Within each of her stories, she discovers pieces of herself and she finds safety and empowerment in that acquired knowledge. In her latest work, Secrets of Ohnita Harbor, Patricia explores the miracles and mysteries that occur in ordinary life. Her mission is to help people discover and embrace the story of their own lives and uncover the extraordinary within the ordinary. Patricia explains that in our lives, just like a mystery story, signs are like clues and if we follow the signs we will come to understand that we are exactly where we are meant to be.
Other topics Patricia speaks about are the importance of self-acceptance, our gut being the rudder that directs us to the truth in our lives, the empowerment and safety that comes from knowledge, and much, much more. This is a beautiful and empowering interview with Patricia Crisafulli.
In this Episode 1:16 - Introducing Patricia Crisafulli 7:09 - What lead Patricia to writing 15:07 - Knowledge is power, but it’s also safety 41:30 - Being in flow and self-acceptance 47:45 - The problem with social media today 55:13 - Living life in the black vs the grey
#113. Perfectionism - It's Time to Cut Yourself Break
00:25:22
Are you someone who often has trouble with things like starting new projects, or making decisions? Do you believe that everything has to be perfect before you can share it with the world? Do you feel like you can never trip up? Perhaps you suffer from perfectionism, and this is a real thing, which is crippling for all those who experience it.
If you suffer with perfectionism, just know that it is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can drive you to do your best work and achieve great results, but on the other hand, it can be paralysing, leading to procrastination and anxiety. It can help you achieve your goals, but it can also interfere with your success. Therefore perfectionism is not always helpful and it can prevent you from taking risks and reaching your full potential in life.
In this episode, we discuss how perfectionism can become a problem, especially when we start to set impossible goals that are totally unattainable for ourselves. We help you deal with your expectations around perfectionism, and offer you three ways you can begin to let go of your perfectionism.
In this Episode 1:09 - Introduction 7:42 - Perfectionism and control 11:43 - Just get started 16:20 - Unrealistic goals 20:05 - Conclusion
#114. The Mindfulness of Singing with Denise Bernadini and Toni Crowder
01:15:52
This week on A Voice and Beyond we welcome the two brilliant voice teachers behind “The Mindfulness of Singing” – Dr Denise Bernardini and Toni Crowder. Between them, they have over fifty years of experience, teaching private voice lessons at a university level, as well as within their own private studios.
Dr Denise Bernardini is a sought-after clinician, teacher, presenter at many national and international voice conferences, and author. She holds a certification from the American Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming and has created her own coaching business helping all kinds of artists change their mindset, reach their goals and breakthrough their limiting beliefs.
Toni Crowder is a voice teacher, clinician and very talented singer song writer who has combined her training and background as a Music Educator, Music Therapist, certified YogaVoice® practitioner, and Yoga Alliance Registered yoga teacher to create an active and safe studio for her students.
In this week’s episode, they come together to talk about the various modalities they have studied, how they have combined and adapted these to create an innovative teaching program for singers and why they were inspired to write their number one bestselling book on Amazon, The Mindfulness of Singing; Creating a Harmonious Mind, Body, and Spirit™.
Toni and Denise share with us, that this book fulfils a dynamic niche in the explosive mindfulness market, and they speak about how a mindfulness practice can be applied in the teaching voice studio, the benefits of this practice for the student and the outstanding results they have achieved using a mindfulness practice with singers. There are many philosophical discussions had in this episode regarding vocal pedagogy and it is an episode you must be sure to listen to with Dr Denise Bernardini and Toni Crowder.
In this Episode 1:15 - Introduction 6:32 - A little background on Denise 8:45 - A little background on Toni 21:27 - Filling the missing gap 33:20 - Creating a safe space 46:57 - Denise & Toni’s book ‘The Mindfulness of Singing: Creating a Harmonious Mind, Body, and Spirit’ 59:43 - Who the book is for
#115. The Business of Making Money from Your Creative Industry with Miriam Schulman
01:02:07
As someone from the creative and performing arts industry, I know that the business and side of what we do, is often the most challenging and most overlooked. Our finances are geared towards investing in professional development with a specific focus on improving our skillset and talent and there is little or no investment in building our understanding of how we can build a sustainable income in a creative industry.
This week on A Voice and Beyond, I am delighted to welcome MIRIAM SCHULMAN, who is an artist, author, and host of the podcast The Inspiration Place, which is listened to in more than 100 countries around the world and is currently in the top .5% of podcasts globally. Miriam is also the founder and creator of The Artists Incubator Coaching Program, a program where she has helped thousands of artists around the world develop their skill sets and learn how to generate six-figure incomes from their passion.
Recently, Miriam released her new book – ARTPRENEUR: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity (HarperCollins; Jan. 31, 2022). In this episode, Miriam discusses her brilliant book and some of her strategies and principles that have been proven to help creatives grow a thriving business, her practical tips on marketing, scaling, and pricing, offer guidance on how to develop the right mindset in business and why selling in alignment with your core values, creates more sales. So, if you are keen to improve your bottom line in your creative business or beyond, this interview with Miriam Schulman is not to be missed.
In this Episode 1:15 - Introduction 3:56 - Miriam’s story of becoming an entrepreneur 22:06 - Growing an online business 28:07 - Building an email list 32:47 - Miriam’s book ‘Artpreneur’ 48:29 - Time spent learning new tactics 57:56 - Miriam’s one piece of advice
This podcast episode is deeply personal to me but I just had to share it, because I am over the trap of dealing with a narcissistic. This is a personality disorder in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. A narcissist charges through life as though everything they embody, from their ideas, to their pursuits, to their problems, to their needs, is a way higher priority than yours. They love nothing more than bathing in themselves—their accolades, their dramas, their ideas and even their victimhood.
This kind of behaviour is so destructive, in fact for me, it was not only destroying me, but it has torn a family apart. In life, there comes a time when enough is enough, and you have to walk away because you are losing an ongoing pointless battle. This is such a toxic situation which can manifest and impact your mental well-being.
In this episode, it is my intention to share my own experiences around narcissism, and I am going to break down what a narcissist is, the typical traits of a narcissist, and how you can deal with a narcissist.
A little disclaimer though, I am not a mental health expert, and I am not here to give advice. I will just share some scenarios with you that may help you if you are dealing with this in your own life right now. Just know that it is not you. You could very well be dealing with a narcissist.
In this Episode 1:09 - Introduction 7:28 - What is a narcissist? 11:51 - Living with a narcissist 18:14 - How to deal with a narcissist 21:57 - Conclusion
#117. Teaching the Child Singer Part I with Dana Lentini
00:45:55
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we have part 1 of a two-part episode with Dana Lentini, who is a noted pedagogue and the author of Teaching the Child Singer: Pediatric Pedagogy for Ages 5-13. Dana is an expert in teaching methodologies for this age group, and her articles and podcasts have been distributed worldwide.
In this episode, Dana addresses many of the myths surrounding teaching young children and why there is such a resistance towards teaching pre-pubescent singers amongst many teachers. Dana firmly believes that there needs to be a mindset shift around teaching this age group, because if teachers do so, they will find there are many benefits, not only for children, but also their parents e.g., singing does not require the purchase of an expensive instrument but will still offer many musical benefits for the child. Everyone, irrespective of age can discover and celebrate their unique voice through singing, including children. Dana affirms that teaching children to sing can set them up for success while they go through the voice transition during puberty.
Dana also shares her ideas around the master-apprentice model and tells us that teaching children in the same way we were taught at a university, is not the way to teach this age group. We must pace lessons for children, so they stay engaged and have fun – even while they are still learning the fundamentals of singing. Dana describes some of the pathways she has created to teach technique in its most simplest form, in order to give a whole comprehensive experience in the singing lesson.
This episode is packed with so much valuable information, and remember it is only part 1 of my interview with Dana Lentini and part 2 will be released next week.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 5:51 – Singing as a child for Dana. 9:33 – How she started teaching children. 15:02 – Singing doesn't require the purchase of an expensive instrument. 28:11 – Benefits of group classes 34:49 – Impact of cultural traditions on children’s singing voice 41:47 – Born to sing kids
#118. Teaching the Child Singer Part II with Dana Lentini
00:44:23
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we have part 2 of a two-part episode with Dana Lentini, a noted pedagogue who is an expert in teaching the child singer. In today’s episode, Dana delves deeper into some of the methodologies she has developed for training young singers. Dana describes some of the pathways she has created to teach technique in its most simplest form for children, in order to give them a whole comprehensive experience in the singing lesson.
Dana debunks many of the myths surrounding teaching young children, such as, it is dangerous to teach children to sing, that it is not possible to teach them technique, and that children do not have the attention span to sit through a singing lesson. Dana explains that it is all good things in moderation for the child singer, especially when it comes to intensity and duration. Dana also shares some of her concerns around the master-apprentice model and tells us that it is important to be student-focused when we teach children. We must pace lessons for them so they stay engaged and have fun, even while they are still learning the fundamentals of singing.
Dana believes that if we are receptive to the idea of working with this age group, not only can it open our doors to a larger community of students, but it can be a most joyful and rewarding experience.
This episode is packed with so much valuable information, remember this is part 2 of my interview with Dana Lentini, and if you missed part 1, it was last week’s episode no 117.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 3:41 - Teaching fun little foundational techniques 9:00 - Dana's book and how it came to be 21:04 - Myth around teaching children voice lessons and technique 28:28 - How to deal with the children's parents 40:15 - Advice in wrapping up the episode
#119. Extending the Healthy Human Lifespan with Jo Bhakdi
00:48:56
Our guest on A Voice and Beyond this week is JO BHAKDI, the founder and CEO of Serenity. Jo has a Master’s in Economics and has held numerous executive positions with a focus on business model innovation and technology.
However, the sudden passing of his mother through cancer, made him question the medical system and he was further inspired to found The Serenity system. Jo describes this system as the most advanced genomic and AI-driven preventative care system in the world. He tells us that Serenity has been created with a vision of extending the healthy human lifespan by a decade within a decade. He believes that early detection is key in many of our 21st-century illnesses and that preventive medicine can reduce our risk of early death very dramatically.
In March this year, Jo launched a new preventative healthcare platform called 20QUESTIONS.life, which is a first-of-its-kind platform. In today’s episode, Jo talks about the gaps in our current global healthcare system, the importance of preventative medicine and early detection, and how his healthcare platform can direct us to a healthier future.
This is a most fascinating and eye-opening interview with Jo Bhadki, one you don’t want to miss especially if you care about your health and longevity.
1:15 – Introduction 4:28 – How Serenity Came to be 15:22 - What is 20Questions? 29:36 – Standard of Care 32:09 – For people who can’t afford the system 34:42 - Ai in healthcare
#120. Are you Taking Your Daily MEDS for a Positive Mindset?
00:28:32
Tranquility has been described as the new modern-day luxury, and peace of mind is something that we can all gift ourselves. However, the problem is that most of us don’t know how!! In life, you cannot rely on the randomness of the world and the randomness of life to bring you joy. Every day you need to spend time planting the seeds of a healthy, positive mindset in the soil of the day ahead. You won’t feel positivity by accident. You need to set the intention and take those actions in your life. You need to activate a healthy and joyful mindset. Peace of mind can come at no cost, and you can achieve this state of tranquility by having a regime of taking your MEDS every day to help you maintain a positive mindset.
In this episode, I am going to prescribe the MEDS that will help make the shift you need for a more joyful and positive mindset. I promise you, you won’t have to visit the drugstore, you won’t be out of pocket, and there are no side effects, just the shift you need to experience the joy of life. Such experiences can have transformative effects on your quality of life so that in the moments that matter, you’re able to anchor down and go for it.
In this Episode
1:09 – Introduction 2:44 – Peace of mind by taking your MEDS 4:35 – M is for Meditation 9:41 – E is for Exercise 14:31 – D is for Diet 19:15 – S is for Sleep 24:38 – Conclusion
#121. A Masterclass in Managing Vocal Health and Well-being in Singers
01:23:11
This week on A Voice and Beyond, I am so excited to announce that we have quite a treat for you as we replay a "tease" from three of my favourite guest interviews. This throwback episode is a masterclass to help raise awareness around how we, as voice teachers, can manage some of the most common issues relating to the care of our students when they are most in need.
I offer these to you as I believe that as a voice teaching community, it is important to keep an open mind to the various kinds of modalities that can be of assistance to a singer who may be suffering from a voice disorder or requires help to manage their anxiety, especially around stage performance.
Our return guests include Walt Fritz who was featured in Episode #75. Walt is a licensed physical therapist who has been teaching Myofascial Release continuing education since 1995. In 2020, Walt rebranded and launched Manual Therapies Seminars, a new training program where he continues to teach all types of therapists internationally.
Our second guest is Dr David Juncos, a clinical psychologist, performance coach, voice workshop lecturer, and co-author of the book ACT for Musicians, David is a "third wave" therapist, with additional training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, otherwise known as (ACT). David describes ACT as an evidence-based psychotherapy that aims to promote mindfulness and acceptance and he explains how he has been able to successfully treat performance anxiety in musicians, as well as singers, using this treatment approach. You can check out David's full interview in episode #55.
Our final guest is Lori Sonnenberg, our guest on episode #60. Lori is a Chicago-based Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Clinical Voice Specialist, and Singing Voice Specialist whose clients include professional performers, educators, and speakers. In her voice clinic, Lori works exclusively with voice and breathing disorders and specializes in muscle tension dysphonia-related disorders, recovery from voice injuries, professional voice care and support, post-operative voice recovery, and problematic technical voice issues for singers.
This is an episode you don’t want to miss out on as our brilliant lineup of guests offers their insights, approaches, and philosophies relating to the health and care of singers in the voice studio.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 5:32 – Walt Fritz 20:45 – Typical types of problems Walt works on 32:49 – Dr. David Juncos 37:52 – Third wave behavioral therapy 56:42 – Lori Sonnenberg 1:02:21 – Muscle tension dysphonia
#122. Living My Unimaginable Life with Shirin Etessam
01:11:49
This week on A Voice and Beyond we welcome Shirin Etessam, who is an entrepreneur, author, as well as, a transformational speaker. Shirin has built a massive reputation as a seasoned and highly successful media executive and has produced numerous films, original television series, and specials.
In this episode, Shirin begins by sharing her personal story about a pivotal event that upended her life in 2013 that led to a realization that everything in her life was internally broken, even though she had checked off all the external markers and accomplishments that had been set by others. Shirin explains that we are taught, at an early age, that to be worthy, to find true happiness, and to be “somebody,” you have to accomplish many things, but those accomplishments may not bring you true satisfaction and joy. Shirin describes the journey which inspired her to write her book FREE TO BE: A Six-Week Guide to Reclaiming Your Soul, released last June 20th. It guides the reader through her six-week program to rewrite their personal story.
The lessons found in the book are those that she has used with major corporate clients including Apple, ABC, BBC, Virgin, Intel, Facebook, and many more. This interview is peppered with moving personal stories, as well as, scientific-based studies to help us understand how we can move from a place of living to the expectations of others to living a more satisfying and fulfilling life on our own terms. This is a beautiful and candid interview with Shirin Etessam.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 5:54 – How she got started in the film industry 14:27 – The pressure to leave a mark 32:53 – Spiritual Health and Wellness 38:56 – Breaking down the book into 6 weeks 49:30 – When we are the most humble, we are most open 1:04:56 – Advice for people who are living a muted life
#123. How to Stop Viewing Your Life Through A Distorted Lens
00:30:33
Today, I talk about those aspects in your life that create a distorted lens and prevent you from finding the joy, contentment, and success you desire. It’s crazy how easily we can be seduced by those thoughts and beliefs that don’t serve us, especially around things such as inadequacy and lack. These stories we tell ourselves suggest that we are viewing our lives as incomplete, and we are constantly searching for that missing piece of the puzzle to complete us.
In this episode, I delve into what may be keeping you from feeling complete and how you can set yourself free from some of this internal dialogue and those external attachments that are distorting the lens through which you view your life. It is time to reclaim your thoughts and enable your empowering beliefs that are going to propel you forward. It is time to take off your distorted lens and live a life full of possibility, a life you truly deserve. You are worthy, always have been, and always will be.
In this Episode 1:09 – Introduction 4:54 – Take charge and win back your life 8:44 – I'm always a work in progress 14:53 – It's not possible to please everybody 18:27 – Start valuing ourselves 25:54 – Set ourselves free
#124. The Voice as an Energetic Instrument with YogaVoice Part 1
00:49:25
As voice teachers it is important, we have a healthy balance of being open to different modalities that can help our students communicate who they truly are in the most authentic way possible. This week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome Kristin Roney and Mark Moliterno, who formed YogaVoice® together. This is a two-part interview as there is so much to unpack around our discussion on YogaVoice®; a unique pedagogical program that combines several traditions of Yoga philosophy and practice with Systematic Voice Technique to develop authenticity and wellness in the art of singing and personal communication.
Both Mark and Kristin are accomplished classical singers with extremely successful performance careers and have studied vocal pedagogy in higher education. Mark studied with Richard Miller for many years and tells us that the work of Richard Miller is the backbone of YogaVoice® and what they do vocally in YogaVoice® is the gateway to functional efficiency in the voice, irrespective of style. It is not exclusive to classical singing. They believe that "the voice" is an energetic instrument that manifests through a physical mechanism, and YogaVoice® is a way to help singers access what is already there within them and within their own voices.
In this episode Mark and Kristin also dispel many of the myths around the practice of yoga, such as it being a spiritual practice, and they best describe yoga as a technology, which in their practice, is a gateway to ultimately elevate, empower, and free the voice. And for those who believe that one needs to be fit and flexible to undertake this program, Mark and Kristen tell us that they meet the individual needs of their clients with an ease, steadiness and comfort in their practice. Mark and Kristin explain the benefits of YogaVoice®, how this work is applied in the voice studio, the philosophies behind the program, and much much more.
This is such an enlightening interview with Kristin Roney and Mark Moliterno, and remember that this is only part one of a two-part interview with YogaVoice® with part two will be released next week.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 6:35 – How Mark and Kristin started 15:28 – Yoga’s impact on singing 34:04 – What makes YogaVoice Unique 21:33 – Scientific, Pedagogical, and Yoga 41:48 – The 7 Chakras
#125. The Voice as an Energetic Instrument with YogaVoice Part 2
00:46:52
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome back to the show Kristin Roney and Mark Moliterno for part two of their two-part interview. Mark and Kristin are highly trained classical singers with very successful performance careers, and together they form YogaVoice®. It is a unique pedagogical program that combines several traditions of Yoga philosophy and practice with Systematic Voice Technique to develop authenticity and wellness in the art of singing and personal communication.
Kristin and Mark believe that the voice is an energetic instrument that manifests through a physical mechanism, and YogaVoice® is a gateway to functional efficiency in the voice, irrespective of style. Their approaches help singers access what is already there within them and their own voices. They explain that your body tells you the truth, and you just have to know what to listen for. In this episode, Mark and Kristin further describe the benefits of YogaVoice®, how this work and applied in the voice studio, their teaching philosophies of balancing science and yoga, and the importance of student learning and there is so much more.
Once again, this is such a brilliant interview with Kristin Roney and Mark Moliterno. I encourage all voice teachers to listen with a healthy balance of being receptive to learning about different modalities so that our students can benefit from our open-mindedness. I am sure you will love the information we have to offer in this episode, and remember this is part two of my interview with YogaVoice®, and you can find part one in last week’s episode no. 124.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 5:03 – How a session could look like 16:44 – Start with your own space first 28:34 – Teaching is being vulnerable 30:48 – Student-centric approach 39:39 – Their advice for the singing community
#126. Live Your Authentic Life Through Human Design with Dr. Veronica Anderson
01:14:50
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome Dr. Veronica Anderson. As an intuitive guide and relationship coach, Dr. Veronica brings a unique blend of medical and spiritual expertise to her clients. She began her successful career as an eye surgeon after graduating from Princeton University and Rutgers Medical School. However, Dr. Veronica discovered that despite her success which offered her a lifestyle anyone envious of, she did not feel in alignment with her career and made a huge career shift. Today, she is a licensed physician, practicing psychic, and Kolbe Certified™ consultant with a diverse background as an integrative medicine physician. She is also the author of 4 best-selling books.
In today’s show, Dr. Veronica explains how she pivoted her career, and shares how she finds deep fulfillment in guiding individuals to overcome unique and complex issues through tools such as the Kolbe Assessment and Human Design. She helps high-achieving professionals cultivate successful careers, healthy habits, and relationships by teaching them how to be their authentic selves and appreciate their true identities.
On the show, Dr. Veronica gives me the results of my Kolbe Test and breaks down my unique strengths and characteristics and how they play out in the workplace and in day-to-day life. Dr. Veronica also explains how she became aware of her psychic and intuitive abilities and shares some of those unbelievable experiences with us. This is a must-listen interview with Dr. Veronica Anderson.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 13:05 – Every person has a soul journey 29-38 – What is Human design 32:39 – 5 types of human design 43:13 – When things aren’t working 49:23 – What is a quick start?
Today we’re going to talk about burnout, so I want to ask you – Are you feeling lethargic and struggling with productivity lately because mentally, you’ve been feeling absolutely exhausted even before you start to work each day? Well, if this sounds like you, it may well be that you are suffering from burnout. And yes, this is a real thing.
Right now, our society is experiencing an epidemic of burnout because there are so many people who are worrying about their families, their jobs, their livelihoods, the rising cost of their mortgages, how they are going to feed their children, while some are having to take care of aging parents also. This is causing us all to feel mentally and physically exhausted, sapping our motivation, and constantly feeling emotionally and mentally drained and overwhelmed. However, burnout is complex and usually not caused by just one thing. Some of these causes can be self-inflicted too. But the good news is that burnout doesn’t have to hang around in your life.
And in this episode, we are going to identify five steps that you can take to help you reclaim your physical and mental energy to put you back into an alert and action-oriented state.
In this Episode
1:10 – Introduction 7:51 – Number 1 high-quality brain fuel 16:47 – Number 2 decision fatigue 23:24 – Number 3 your email inbox 28:39 – Number 4 prioritize sleep 34:33 – Number 5 is exercise 37:23 – Burnout is a really complex thing
#128. How Voice Science Meets Practice with Dr. Brian Gill - Part 1
00:58:13
This week on A Voice and Beyond, I am thrilled to be speaking with Dr. Brian Gill. This is part 1 of a 2-part interview with Brian, a world-renowned educator, singer, voice researcher, and founder of Gill Mindful Voice Training. At present, he is a Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In today’s show, he takes us on a journey throughout his 35-year performance career as a singer and bass player performing multi-genre: opera/classical, hard rock, heavy metal, funk, country, musical theater, Indian classical, and jazz.
He explains how he managed to successfully transition across this landscape of music styles and how that experience has given him a depth of understanding of the vocal parameters required to teach singers to be stylistically authentic across genres. Brian believes that as voice teachers, we must engage with any style we are going to teach and that in order to learn a style, one must be immersed in that music for a significant amount of time. Brian has dedicated his life to demystifying voice and tells us that one of the greatest misconceptions about the voice is with regards to the notion of support. Brian opens up about his mentors, his proud teacher moments, and so much more.
This is such an engaging interview with Dr. Brian Gill. And remember, this is only part 1 of my interview with him. Next week in part 2, we go in-depth in our discussion around all things pedagogy.
In this Episode
1:15 – Introduction 14:20 – Classical Training: A different beast! 20:30 – Advantage of experience in teaching 37:04 – The greatest myth about the voice 39:20 – The Invisible Instrument 54:05 – Nonlinear source filter interaction
#129. How Voice Science Meets Practice with Dr. Brian Gill - Part 2
01:17:54
This episode of A Voice and Beyond is proudly sponsored by Vocal Health Education.
Dr. Jenevora Williams and Stephen King are the founders of Vocal Health Education, and they’re coming to Australia in January 2024. VHE has trained over 2000 people in a holistic approach to understanding people and their voices. Are you interested in the whole person and how a variety of factors will affect their health and well-being? Have you noticed how vocal health is related to overall health and well-being? Learn more at www.vocalhealth.co.uk/australian-tour
As many of you know, acoustics is not my thing. I make no secret of the fact that I don’t understand acoustics, how it is applied, or its relevance in the singing voice studio, especially as someone who is in the CCM sector. This week on A Voice and Beyond, I am thrilled to continue into part 2 of my two-part interview with Dr. Brian Gill, whose interdisciplinary journey has resulted in an approach to voice that aims to unite voice science with practical application more clearly.
In this discussion with Brian, my mission was to get him to do the hard sell. I asked Brian to explain why I should develop a deeper understanding of acoustics and convince me of its advantages. It led us to totally geeking out on all things singing voice pedagogy: from a philosophical standpoint and beyond. Topics of intense discussion included; what evidence-based and science-based really mean in terms of voice training, the current trends in voice teaching, weaponizing knowledge, the importance of meeting our students where they are at, a potential divide in the singing voice community, especially for the teacher in the private studio, the future of voice training and so much more.
If you want to know if I was persuaded to go and learn more about acoustics, you'll have to listen to the episode. It is full of so much information, but it is also full of so many laughs. I know you are going to enjoy listening to Dr. Brian Gill, and if you missed part 1, it was last week’s episode 128.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 5:33 – Evidence Based vs Science Based 16:04 – The value of a holist workshop 38:23 – Weaponized knowledge 46:53 – Master “Apprentice” Model vs “Master” Apprentice Model 59:16 – Philosophical side of Pedagogy 1:14:03 – What are you up to next?
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we have the most delightful guest, Sloane. She is the Founder of Beyond The Edge Retreat – a transformative, peak experience for professional women. This was one of the most insightful interviews I have ever had with so many brilliant and life-changing pearls of wisdom being shared by Sloane. She begins by sharing her remarkable story of courage, vulnerability, and radical self-love.
Sloane explains her career journey that started as an extremely successful business attorney working for the fourth largest law firm in the world and how she transitioned to becoming a renowned guide for women seeking to break free from hustle culture. Sloane realized that she was not living the life of deepest pleasure and fulfillment, and now, her life and work are all about tapping into the deepest parts of ourselves to create lasting success and happiness.
In this episode, Sloane shares many of her life’s philosophies on how we can all cultivate greater pleasure in every aspect of our lives, how we can tap into the life we truly want through science-based manifestation, the importance of living life in alignment with who we truly are, the greatest lies we tell ourselves and there is so much more. This episode is not only dedicated to empowering and uplifting women but also for all the men who wish to step into the greater version of themselves.
This is such a beautiful interview and I trust that you will love listening to Sloane as much as I did.
In this Episode 1:15 - Introduction 15:05 - The Definition of True Pleasure 33:35 - How to Manifestation 55:31 - Women's Biggest Struggle 49:48 - Intuition: Women's Superpower 52:00 - Women in the Male-dominant Field 57:19 - Women and Feeling 1:05:49 - Sloane's Advice for Women and Men
Did you know that the desire to have more money and to eliminate debt, are both rated in the top ten list of personal goals people aspire for? If you find yourself constantly worrying about your financial situation and don’t know how to make a shift from being broke to having an abundant lifestyle, then today’s episode is for you. No one can deny there are many aspects around money that we can’t control that continue to put us under financial stress, such as increasing living costs triggered by an economic downturn. Unexpected expenses created by this downturn can definitely stand in the way of us achieving financial goals. However, many internal obstacles can also stand in the way of our financial success.
Despite all good intentions, many people fail to achieve financial freedom due to their limiting beliefs around money. These beliefs can be a result of growing up in a family where there was a terrible, negative narrative towards money and you have unknowingly developed a poverty mindset or you may simply disrespect money without realising it. Whatever it is that is causing you to have an unhealthy attitude towards money, we reveal how to recognize these limiting behaviours and how you can create a healthier money mindset.
Money can be a sensitive topic for many, but now is the perfect time to check in on your money mindset. Whether you want to generate more wealth in order for you to live a life of abundance or to serve your mission to improve the lives of others, this episode is dedicated to helping you achieve your financial goals.
In this Episode
1:10 – Introduction 3:09 - What can prevent you from achieving your financial goals? 7:43 - Do you have a poverty mindset? 10:25 - The work starts with you! 13:08 - Money wasters disrespecting money 15:55 - You can be ethical and have good morals even if you have money. 22:47 - The importance of investing your money. 24:25 - Creativity also needs abundance to flourish.
#132. Opening the Door to Collegiality and Community with Dr. Jenevora Williams
01:18:17
Our guest this week on A Voice and Beyond is Dr. Jenevora Williams, who returns to the show to speak candidly about her teaching career, from her early teaching days and the journey that has led to where she is presently in her role as the Co-Founder of Vocal Health Education. She has earned the respect of our voice community as a leading exponent in the field of vocal health and singing teaching. After a successful career in Opera, she turned her attention to investigating healthy and efficient vocal function. The combination of academic study and practical experience has resulted in her unique perception of understanding the human voice.
In this interview, Jenevora shares her career journey, the many battles she provoked and endured along the way, and the harsh lessons learned both personally and professionally. This discussion is focused around the importance of collegiality, compassion, and understanding in our singing voice community and how leading in this way can have positive outcomes for our students.
Jenevora is an advocate for student-centred learning and the teacher training that she has co-created as part of Vocal Health Education endorses a person-centred philosophy. She explains the importance of this philosophy, the barriers she is trying to breakdown through this work, and how VHE has been developed for all teachers, irrespective of age, stage of development, or experience. This is a truly honest and rare look into her career and I appreciate her willingness to so openly share her stories and thoughts on the show. I felt honoured to hold space for this discussion with Dr. Jenevora Williams and I am sure you will love hearing her story.
In this Episode 1:15 – Introduction 5:36 – Philosophy based on Person Centered interactions 25:57 – The people who chose to work with Dr. Jenevora 26:47 –Fear-based barrier or a defense 38:04 – How social media has exacerbated the problem of bias 53:57 – Vocal Health Education is coming to Australia 1:02:42 – Vocal Health First Aid training
Our guest this week on A Voice and Beyond is Joshua DeTillio who is the chief administrative officer at Gulf Coast Medical Centre, as well as, an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. Based on his sixteen years of experience in healthcare and hospital administration, Joshua was inspired to design an essential how-to guide on building and maintaining your own wellness plan.
In this episode, Joshua speaks about the many reasons why he created his popular hospital-wide wellness program called Healthy You, Healthy Team, Healthy Company. He explains that nothing is more important to a company than its employees, and nothing is more important to the employees than their health. Joshua believes that a wellness plan can keep a work team happy, fit, and motivated while lowering business costs and increasing efficiency and all you need is a roadmap to success. Joshua firmly believes that business leaders must become role models for their employees and he offers employers a roadmap presented in eight stages, ranging from learning how to be an inspiration to incentivizing participation, and from using data to refining practices.
Joshua also discusses the current situation regarding increasing health costs and he tells us that it is 5% of the population who contribute to 90% of those rising costs. Joshua states that it is his mission to decrease health costs by improving the health of others.
This interview is full of wonderful advice, whether you wish to embark on your healthcare journey or want to improve on it, Joshua DeTillio gives us some simple, no-fuss steps to follow throughout our conversation in this show.
In this Episode 1:15- Introduction 8:42- What defines good health for Joshua 9:45- Why does most people fail when it comes to health and longevity 15:40- What happens when people started eating healthier 17:14- Food is addictive too! 21:29- The Program: Healthy You, Healthy Team, Healthy Company 28:24- Dairy, the most challenging food 33:45- The benefit companies get from the program.
In this week’s episode, you and I are going to have a conversation about the one thing you need to do this week. And there's a reason why you and I are going to talk about this today, and it’s because I know you need to hear this. We are to discuss the importance of learning the art of doing nothing.
You probably think that I have gone mad because I am always talking about how to be more productive, but there is a method to my madness! I promise you! It is a message I need to hear and the message everybody needs to hear right now. Stress levels are so high because society has taught us that we need to be switched on always.
The theme of this episode is about cutting yourself a break and to breathe. We are always running from one thing to the next, and it’s time to find 30 minutes this week to switch off. I assure you that when you step back into being productive, creative, or being that person life demands you to show up as, and you will be even more remarkable. You will have more energy, be more creative, and have more focus and clarity. You will start to recognise the things that truly matter. So, I dare you to find 30 minutes this week where you do nothing. It is time to stop, do nothing, and take a breath of life.
In this Episode
1:10 – Introduction 6:49 – Doing nothing VS Always doing something 11:51 – Your Phone 13:21 – FakeAgram 15:47 – Living up to impossible standard 17:05 – You can say NO, you know 20:46 – Your energy and your time 23:42 – what does doing nothing look like for you
#135. Embodying the Whole Singer with Danielle Soccio
01:17:10
Our special guest this week on A Voice and Beyond is Danielle Soccio. She is a Melbourne-based singer, voice teacher, speaker, and creator of the Awaken Your Voice Program.
In this episode, Danielle began by telling us about her longstanding professional career as a touring, musical theatre, cabaret, and TV circuit performer and how she started to fall apart vocally amid her performance career. When this happened, she realized some essential technical elements were missing in her training and decided to immerse herself in the emerging voice science and various other modalities hailed as the holy grail of singing. However, it was after the grief and loss of her mum’s passing that Danielle discovered that all the technical training, she had received did not address the impact that this emotional trauma was having on her voice. Inspired by this, Danielle embarked on a new trajectory in her teaching and began to study and use a holistic approach to voice training, using embodiment modalities with great success.
Based on her personal and professional experiences, Danielle created a truly remarkable voice teaching program — Awaken Your Voice, that helps singers become confident, courageous, and impactful artists by tapping away at their emotional and physical roadblocks. This is a beautiful and philosophical interview with Danielle Soccio and one you will thoroughly enjoy listening to.
In this Episode
2:36 – Introduction 7:10 – How it all started for Danielle 13:15 – Something doesn’t feel right 18:28 – The impact of emotional trauma 35:19 – Applying the “woowoo” holistically 46:25 – Awaken Your Voice Program 48:22 – Creating that safe space in the studio
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we have a most delightful conversation with our special guest — Link Forester. In this interview, Link shares his rare blend of humility, faith, and a good sense of humor, all of which have enabled him to grow and move through the trials of becoming a parent much earlier than planned, a risky career change, and the tragic death of his son. He is currently working in the financial services industry, leading a thriving financial planning and wealth management business.
During COVID, Link decided to write his autobiography called The Side Road, which takes readers on a journey of self-discovery and finding purpose amidst life's unexpected twists and turns. As a seasoned traveler and adventurer, he tells us that he draws from his own experiences navigating the ups and downs of life to offer practical insights and wisdom to his readers. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, Link inspires us to embrace the unexpected detours and challenges life presents to find joy and meaning in the journey. He encourages us to step off the beaten path, explore new avenues and possibilities, and trust our inner compass to guide us toward our true purpose.
Whether you're at a crossroads in your life or simply seeking inspiration and guidance, Link offers a fresh perspective on the transformative power of embracing all that life has to offer. This is a beautiful and candid discussion with Link Forester as he takes us on a journey with his many personal experiences, stories, and reflections.
In this Episode 2:35 - Introduction 14:03 - Qualities for success 18:12 - Life's Curveball & How Link dealt with it 26:23 - Importance of humility, faith, and a good sense of humor 33:07 - For those people who haven't found their purpose in life 35:04 - Importance of having a small group of friends 41:47 - Was there any regrets? 50:01 - Link's book: The Side Road
In this week’s episode, we are discussing people pleasing, a problem that most of us struggle with. A "people pleaser" can best be defined as someone having a strong desire to please other people even if pleasing others comes at their own expense. What most people do not realize is that when they are saying yes to someone else, sadly, there is a good chance they are saying no to themselves.
In this episode, I offer some tools to help create the self-awareness required to catch yourself out in those moments when you feel that pressure to please other people. These tools are designed to help you overcome that terrible pressure that starts to override your ability to put yourself first. I share ideas that will help you set healthy boundaries and prevent common issues that can be the consequence of people-pleasing. Such as having low self-esteem, constantly needing approval from others, learned helplessness, or the fear of rejection or criticized by others.
I intend to help you understand that it is possible to set healthy boundaries in any form of relationship, personal or professional, without guilt. You can interrupt this default behavior of being a people pleaser and create a different pattern of behavior that allows you to put your goals and needs first. You can change and start making conscious decisions in your day-to-day life that truly empower you. It is time for you to step out of the wings and take center stage in your life.
In this Episode
2:30 – Introduction 4:16 - What is a people pleaser? 6:51 - Negative impacts of being a people pleaser. 9:41 - Healthy balance and setting healthy boundaries. 18:26 - Dealing with the pain of discomfort. 21:40 - The price of being a people pleaser. 23:54 - People around you are not living the same kind of life as you do. 27:01 - Find your people!
#138. Building a Million Dollar Voice With MzLyndia - Part 1
00:55:20
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we are very honored to have Lyndia Johnson as our special guest on the show. This is part one of a two-part interview with Lyndia, who is known in the Music Industry as “MzLyndia.” MzLyndia is not your average singing teacher and vocal coach. From touring with major artists to collaborating with music producers, she has spotlighted the need for vocal artist development in the music industry for over 25 years. Her celebrated abilities as a vocal coach and in artist development are highly respected. She has served on the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, as a vocal consultant and clinician for MusiCares, and was one of the original architects of the Grammy’s Vocal Camp. Her relationship with the Recording Academy has been a long-recognized and well-respected collaboration.
In this interview, we delve into Lyndia’s vocal journey as she shares with us that her career success as a well-established opera singer was based on a unique combination of years of operatic study and growing up being influenced by the voices of Aretha, Gladys, Etta James, and Mahalia Jackson. Lyndia later transitioned her career to become a highly sought-after vocal coach among Pop, R&B, Gospel, and Musical Theatre artists who desire to brand and transform their voices.
Lyndia also offers a service uniquely intended for Producers and Recording Artists. In the recording studio, Lyndia’s role as a vocal coach is not only to solve any vocal problems that occur in the recording session but to work alongside the record producer to help enhance the singer’s voice and to ensure the producer can capture the best tone/timbre and vocal delivery possible all while avoiding costly delays. According to Lyndia, this gives the producer the freedom to create a highly marketable and vocally attractive finished product that can then be sustainable for touring.
This is a most fascinating interview with Lyndia Johnson, one of the music industry’s most acclaimed vocal coaches. Remember this is part one of a two-part interview and part 2 will be released next week.
In this Episode 2:35 - Introduction 8:32 - MzLyndia's Journey 10:22 - Opera training and cultural identity 19:27 - MzLyndia reflects on losing her voice 23:06 - Learning Voice Science 28:49 - Music industry, voice coaching, and legacy 36:49 - Artist uniqueness in live performances vs. recordings 49:47 - Voice coaching and artist development
#139. Building a Million Dollar Voice With MzLyndia - Part 2
01:09:04
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we share part two of my two-part interview with Lyndia Johnson. Her celebrated abilities as a vocal coach and in artist development are both highly respected in the music industry. Lyndia, also known in the Music Industry as “MzLyndia”, has built a relationship with the Recording Academy which has become a long-recognized and well-respected collaboration. She has also served on the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and a vocal consultant and clinician for MusiCares and Grammys. She holds both Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Voice and has been invited to serve as an Associate Professor of Practice in Pop Voice at the University of Southern California back in 2018. Proudly, she was the first African-American Professor of Voice engaged by the Thornton School of Music.
From Pop, K-pop, R&B, and Gospel to Musical Theater, MzLyndia's artists can be heard around the world. In this episode, she delves deeper into her work preparing world-acclaimed music artists not only for the recording studio but also has the privilege of sharing the strategies she uses for assisting and supporting these artists when they face vocal issues amid a major tour. MzLyndia emphasizes the importance of understanding the performance and venue demands of our working students to ensure that what you are teaching, pedagogically, is relevant on stage, in a live situation.
MzLyndia is an avid voice scientist, and she explains how this knowledge guides and informs her contemporary musical instructional style. She tells us that in a live concert, much of the vocal acoustics setup is configured in technology and can be dealt with by an audio engineer with the push of a button. MzLyinda explores the idea that, as singers, we are vocal athletes, and all athletes sustain injuries at some point. Therefore, it is time to stop shaming and improve the support systems for our singers.
There's so much more to unpack in this episode as MzLyndia shares her knowledge, philosophies, and lived experiences. Remember this is part two of a two-part interview, and part 1 is last week’s episode #138.
In this Episode 2:36-Introduction 6:32-Dealing with preconceived ideas and Limitations 18:19-Vocal health and rehabilitation for singers 22:02-Vocal Pathology Factors 32:14-Popular music in higher education 58:06-Embracing imperfections in singing and storytelling 1:02:21-Singing, anxiety, and personal growth
#140. A Flexible Body Creates a Flexible Mind with Kassandra Reinhardt
01:09:56
This week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome Kassandra Reinhardt. Kassandra is a Yin & Vinyasa yoga Instructor, a YouTuber with over 2 million subscribers, a published author, and the face behind Yoga with Kassandra. In this episode, Kassandra begins by discussing her journey into yoga. She was an 18-year-old dancer who suffered from anxiety and body image issues and always felt that she was being highly scrutinized in the ballet world. Kassandra tells us that she fell in love with the practice of yoga because she was able to remove herself from a place of judgment, depletion, and burnout. Yoga has also helped Kassandra manage her stress and anxiety while increasing her flexibility and strength, among many other benefits.
In today’s show, Kassandra demystifies many of the myths, misconceptions, and spiritual philosophies around yoga, and most importantly, she shares with us its many benefits — such as how it can positively impact our mindset, improve our flexibility and mobility, and nourish all the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual parts of us. Kassandra also explains how we can develop mental health discernment by setting daily intentions, the benefits of scheduling time for self-care practices to ensure we are not depleting our energy supplies, and the importance of prioritizing ourselves while helping others.
Ultimately, Kassandra desires to help people feel good in their bodies and broaden their minds through simple yet effective practices and exercises.
#141. Awaken the Power in Your Voice - Interview with Rush Dorsett
01:06:16
Last month, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Rush Dorsett as part of a brilliant 14-day virtual summit. The Awaken Your Voice Summit is an annual event targeted at professional and emerging performing artists and voice users seeking alternative pathways to awaken the power of their voice to communicate (singing/speaking/writing) more clearly and effectively.
The Awaken Your Voice Summit is offering a holistic approach to voice training. This event included live vocal practices, demonstrations, training, and intimate conversations with Grammy award-winning performers, as well as Master teachers. It was an opportunity to create an inspiring and transformational experience for participants to explore their voices in a much deeper and more authentic way.
During my candid interview with Rush, I was asked to share my personal story, my professional journey, and my career experiences, which included the highlights and pitfalls I encountered as an award-winning singer. I was given the opportunity to offer some pearls of wisdom to the listeners about how they, too, can discover their own voices in the most authentic manner.
At the end of the interview, I gave away my free eBook which you also can access via a link in the show notes. I’d like to thank Rush Dorsett for allowing me to share this interview with you.
In this Episode
4:52 - Introduction 10:10 - Overcoming being silenced 16:00 - Identity, resilience, and healing from trauma 28:07 - Resilience, inner strength, and creating safe spaces for growth 46:30 - Daily Regime 48:59 - In Gratitude – My Daily Self Journal 1:03:31 - The eBook and Performance Mastery Coaching Program
#142. Your Voice: Your Identity with Dr. Belinda McMahon Part 1
01:07:19
Have you ever wondered what your voice says about you? Well, this week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome as our special guest Dr. Belinda McMahon, a singing and spoken voice teacher who holds a PhD from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. This is part one of a two-part interview with Belinda as she discusses her fascinating research investigating vocal identity and how that work has led her to develop a much deeper passion for this field, inspiring her to create her own business, VoicePrint Professionals. In this program, Belinda works with entrepreneurs, executives, and other professionals to help them elevate their communication skills for greater influence and impact.
In today’s show, Belinda explains how the voice is the single most important aspect of communication, over and above facial expressions, body language, and the words we use. She shares with us the voice qualities that are required to enable a speaker to clearly communicate their intentions and ideas, how they can use their voice to increase authority, how we can build trust and rapport, and ensure people listen to you using specific voice qualities, tones, volumes, pace, and energy. Belinda also does a deep dive into topics around how vocal technique influences vocal identity, how her research has changed the way Belinda approaches teaching singers, and how we ensure, as voice teachers, that we don’t impose our biases around what a singer’s vocal identity should be.
This is a most fascinating interview that will certainly have you listening and to be honest, there was so much that was helpful for me in this interview. Whatever you do, be sure to listen to today’s show with Dr. Belinda McMahon, and remember this is part 1 of a 2-part interview with Belinda, and part 2 will follow next week.
In this Episode
7:41-Studying Vocal Identity 16:00 - Influences and influencers formed our vocal Identity 21:37 - Intentional and Unintentional Imitation 26:37 - How do voice teachers avoid imposing their biases on a voice? 39:05 - "My Job" 40:32 - VoicePrint Professionals: Speaking Voice Coaching 47:50 - The autonomic nervous system reacts to the sounds we're hearing 51:05 - Importance of Resonance, Tone, Speed, and Pitch as a speaker
#143. Your Voice: Your Identity with Dr. Belinda McMahon Part 2
01:07:36
Have you ever wondered why some voices sound authoritative, nurturing, energized, or motivating? What are the various vocal qualities required for different situations? This week on A Voice and Beyond, we welcome back our special guest Dr. Belinda McMahon, a singing and spoken voice teacher and researcher in the field of vocal identity, for part two of her two-part interview.
Belinda operates a highly successful coaching business, VoicepPrint Professionals, where she works with entrepreneurs, executives, and other professionals. In today’s show, she shares some of her secrets on how we can elevate our communication skills for greater influence and impact using specific voice qualities, tones, volumes, pace, pitch, and energy. Belinda believes that through the correct training, we can all learn to use our voices in many different ways to ensure that how we sound is a true representation of who we are, especially if we feel a disconnect between the two. Other topics discussed in this episode include the importance of resonance for sustainability, particularly in those occupations where there is significant and intense voice use and how our voices are connected to our sense of identity.
Belinda describes my unique vocal qualities and what my voice says about me, and to learn more about what Belinda had to say, be sure to listen to this most fascinating interview with Dr. Belinda McMahon. Remember this is part 2 of a 2-part interview with Belinda, and part 1 was last week’s episode #142.
In this Episode
10:21-Speech and tone 20:55-Hearing our own recording 30:08-Identity, Accent, and Vocal Health 38:42-Disconnect between who you are and how they sound. 49:24-Voice qualities and their perception in different contexts. 55:32-Voice tone and its impact on credibility 59:54-Breaking down Tony Robbins' voice
#144. The Fictionalized Reality of Medicine With Dr. Michael Young
00:51:51
If this episode doesn’t convince you to start taking a preventative approach to your health, I don’t know what will! According to our guest this week on A Voice and Beyond, Dr. Michael Young, our healthcare systems are being dictated and controlled by multi-national corporate structures, such as pharmaceutical companies and insurance firms, and as a result, we, the general public, are facing medical vulnerability. These corporate structures decide the cost as well as how, when, and where we access healthcare.
Dr. Young is a fourth-generation physician certified by the American Board of Urology. Upon completing his training, Dr. Young went into private practice; however, ten years ago, he became very frustrated and disappointed with the medical and healthcare delivery systems and wanted to become more involved with instigating change, inventions, and innovation. Dr. Young now holds three faculty positions at the University of Illinois and has authored a series of fictional books depicting the frightening reality of what is currently occurring in our healthcare systems. He explains that these books are the by-product of his frustrations and experiences as a practicing physician, and his mission through these books is to inspire dialogue between healthcare providers and patients.
To be honest, this was a jaw-dropping conversation with Dr. Young. It was shocking for me to hear that medical care and the cost of medicine are the leading causes of bankruptcy in the US. You would think that prevention would be at the top of the list for the healthcare industry; however, according to Dr. Young, in the medical industry, pharmaceutical companies are essentially drug dealers in suits. The healthcare industry is more interested in selling a disease than trying to sell prevention or a cure. Dr. Michael Young certainly blows the whistle on the healthcare system, and what you will learn may shock you. For the sake of your health, be sure to go and listen to this show.
In this Episode
6:36 - Meet Dr. Michael Young 12:39 - The Flaws in the System 16:57 - Who is 'The corporation?' 29:01 - The 3 Books: Fictionalized Reality 32:02 - The Healthcare in the United States 43:54 - "Has anyone tried to silence you?" 49:00 - Dr. Young's advice for our audience.
#145. A Creative's Journey: My Interview with Miriam Schulman
00:30:10
Earlier this year, I was interviewed by Miriam Schulman, host of The Inspiration Place, a podcast where Miriam offers education and inspiration to others who are on their creative journeys.
Miriam believes that the creative journey is a thrilling adventure, and it's filled with ups and downs. It's about taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone, and embracing your unique artistic voice, and this is a replay of my interview, where Miriam asks me to share my own creative career adventures. I also share my thoughts on perfectionism and how it can hold us back from pursuing our creative endeavors, the value of prioritizing self-care and the role it plays in our creativity, as well as self-belief as a crucial component of achieving our creative goals.
It was a blast hanging out with Miriam Schulman, and I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed spending time with Miriam on her podcast, The Inspiration Place.
In this Episode
2:30 - Introduction 10:33 - Marisa's journey 12:29 - Marisa: The OG Hannah Montana 15:31 - Dealing with Perfectionism 18:35 - Just Get Started!! 21:09 - Challenge: An Opportunity for Growth 22:09 - M.E.D.S. for Self-care 28:13 - Performance Mastery Coaching Program
#146. Brain Health Matters with Heidi Moss Erickson Part 1
00:45:40
As a society, it appears we are simply not coping with today’s work and life demands, and the pandemic has further amplified what seems to be an epidemic of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns in our population. This week on Voice and Beyond, we welcome back to the show Heidi Moss Erickson, an acclaimed performer, voice educator, and scientist who first appeared on the show two years ago in episode no. 35. Since then, both Heidi and I have struggled with the grief of losing loved ones, and in this interview, we speak frankly about the impact of our loss, our grieving journeys as survivors of suicide, and our own personal struggles with anxiety and depression.
This is a two-part conversation about healing, the resilience of the human spirit, and shining a beacon of light on these difficult topics, from the perspective of two people who are not healthcare experts, medical practitioners, or psychologists, but rather we speak from a place of experience, neuroscience, and an understanding of biology. Heidi will explain the difference between the brain and the mind, how the two are interrelated, and share science-based information on how we can improve our brain health to optimize our mind health.
It is our intention to give hope to others who are struggling with their own grief or mental health issues; however, I would like to stress that some of the content may be triggering; therefore, if you or someone you know is struggling, we have included links to where you can seek help in the show notes. This episode serves as a timely reminder, as we head into the festive season, to check in and connect with loved ones. Remember, this is part one of a two-part interview with Heidi Moss Erickson, and part two will be released after the holiday season.
In This Episode 1:15 - Introduction 5:59 - Grief and mental health after a suicide loss 15:57 - Mind vs brain 21:08 - Mental health and circadian rhythms 28:39 - Mindset, emotions, and self-regulation 34:14 - Brain health, mindset, and mental health 38:38 - Trauma and lifestyle interventions
#147. Brain Health Matters with Heidi Moss Erickson Part 2
00:47:58
As a society, it appears we are simply not coping with today’s work and life demands, and the pandemic has further amplified what seems to be an epidemic of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns in our population. This week on Voice and Beyond, we welcome back to the show Heidi Moss Erickson, an acclaimed performer, voice educator, and scientist who first appeared on the show two years ago in episode no. 35. Since then, both Heidi and I have struggled with the grief of losing loved ones, and in this interview, we speak frankly about the impact of our loss, our grieving journeys as survivors of suicide, and our own personal struggles with anxiety and depression.
This is a two-part conversation about healing, the resilience of the human spirit, and shining a beacon of light on these difficult topics, from the perspective of two people who are not healthcare experts, medical practitioners, or psychologists, but rather we speak from a place of experience, neuroscience, and an understanding of biology. Heidi will explain the difference between the brain and the mind, how the two are interrelated, and share science-based information on how we can improve our brain health to optimize our mind health.
It is our intention to give hope to others who are struggling with their own grief or mental health issues; however, I would like to stress that some of the content may be triggering; therefore, if you or someone you know is struggling, we have included links to where you can seek help in the show notes. This episode serves as a timely reminder, as we head into the festive season, to check in and connect with loved ones. Remember, this is part one of a two-part interview with Heidi Moss Erickson, and part two will be released after the holiday season.
In This Episode 2:36 - Introduction 5:36 - The Limitations of Brain Imaging 15:46 - Brain Health and Decision Making 18:52 - The Brain of Addicts 24:09 - Stress and News Consumption 28:07 - Improving Brain Health 32:32 - Teaching Anxious Students 42:27 - Resilience and Hope
#148. Unlocking the Power of Your Brain in Survival with Ashok Gupta
01:08:43
This week on A Voice and Beyond, our guest is ASHOK GUPTA, an internationally renowned speaker, filmmaker, and health practitioner who has dedicated his life to supporting people through chronic illness and achieving their full potential. Ashok is also a leading expert in the field of neuroimmune-conditioned syndromes (NICS) and the mind behind The Gupta Program. With a background in neuroscience and a focus on integrative healthcare, Ashok has captured international recognition for his contributions to treating NCIS, a condition that often baffles traditional healthcare systems. Ashok explains that the various conditions that fall under NICS, including ones such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities, long-term COVID-19, and mold illness, affect an increasing number of people. Ashok himself suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome around 25 years ago when he was studying at Cambridge University. Through the neurological research that he conducted, he managed to make a full recovery, and Ashok then set up a clinic where he began to treat others.
During this interview, Ashok guides us toward understanding these complex syndromes more comprehensively and why they are rising in prevalence globally. He also offers insights into new, evidence-based approaches grounded in neuroplasticity, substantiated by multiple published randomized controlled trials on Long Covid, ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and fibromyalgia. This is a very interesting interview with Ashok Gupta, who has dedicated his life to ensuring others do not go through the same challenges as he has had on his journey to recovery through conventional medicine. I was fascinated by this interview, and I am sure you will be as well.
In This Episode: 2:36 - Introduction 7:08 - Gupta’s history 8:47 - Neuroimmune diseases 16:26 - Brain retraining for NICS 21:15 - Neuroimmune conditions and their prevalence in Western societies 23:07 - How many people suffer from NICS? 30:30 - Prevention and treatment of NICS 35:59 - Gut health’s impact on mental health 38:12 - Brain retraining, neuroplasticity, and it’s effectiveness 55:30 - Holistic health strategies
#149. How to Identify and Eliminate Limiting Beliefs with Shelly Lefkoe
01:08:10
According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, over 40% of adults will try to change their behavior at some point this year, and 92% will fail to keep their commitment. This week on A Voice and Beyond, our guest Shelly Lefkoe is going to help unlock the superhuman in us that is stuck in a maze of self-made beliefs that prevent all of us from taking action. Shelly, who is an international Speaker Belief Eliminator Extraordinaire, the co-founder and President of the Lefkoe Institute, as well as the founder of Parenting the Lefkoeway, has made it her life’s mission to set people free from their self-imposed prisons by eliminating one limiting belief at a time. Shelly’s science-based method has helped over 200,000 people in over 120 countries experience profound life shifts by clearing the root cause of people’s challenges and permanently getting rid of hidden beliefs.
Shelly discusses how we can identify and eliminate counterproductive thoughts and emotional and behavioral patterns holding us back from achieving our potential; how we can effortlessly and rapidly remove self-defeating patterns like procrastination, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome; the way to experience breakthroughs without breakdowns and help to achieve natural confidence; and how to gain incredible energy, inner peace, and freedom.
I could relate to so much of what Shelly spoke about and had so many aha moments during this interview, and I’m sure you will too.
2:36 - Intro 11:41 - Changing Peoples Beliefs 26:38 - Why people cling to beliefs that hurt them 36:15 - Shelly’s latest book about beliefs and behaviour 40:54 - Self-esteem, failure, and a growth mindset 1:04:52 - Limiting beliefs and personal growth
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